The Trump administration has pursued intimidation tactics against the Associated Press and the Pentagon Press Corps.
Posted by All In with Chris Hayes, Checked
- Sources
- 9 support1 context
- Said
- 1 time·
- Confidence
- 85%
All In with Chris HayesSep 19, 2026
Multiple sources document Trump administration actions against the Associated Press (White House access ban over the Gulf of America naming dispute, later litigated) and against the Pentagon press corps (credential policy restricting access, which a federal judge found unconstitutional and later found was being evaded, with the Pentagon violating the order as of April 2026).
This claim is about the present, so it is judged as of the day it was checked.
What was said
… To quote Discredit and Demean reporters, So that way, the public doesn't believe us because it undercuts trust in the public. And again, since he came in to the second term, they have pursued that intimidation tactic in full force with not just the Associated Press, also the Pentagon Press Corps. But it hasn't stopped us and other reporters from pursuing those difficult, aggressive stories. And just today, our colleagues in the Pentagon Press were reporting that there has been an undercount. …
All In with Chris Hayes · · from the transcriptPost →What we found
Supports. The administration banned the Associated Press from White House events over its refusal to adopt the 'Gulf of America' name, and the AP had to sue to regain access.[2][3]
Supports. The Pentagon adopted a credential policy that removed or restricted access for outlets including NYT, NBC, NPR, and Politico; a federal judge found the policy violated free speech and due process rights and that the Pentagon was violating his order.[1][4][5][6]
Supports. Analysts and press freedom groups describe the Pentagon and White House measures as intimidation and punishment of the press, including threats to outlets' licenses and pressure on coverage.[7][8][9]
Context. The claim's wording ('intimidation tactics') is characterization; the passage's 'since he came in to the second term' timeframe is consistent with sources describing actions from early 2025 onward.[5][10]
Sources
10 sources: 1 fact-checker, 1 primary, 8 not rated
- 1Judge finds Pentagon in violation of order to restore reporters' accessapnews.com · fact-checker · cited for: supports
- 2Editorial: Free press under firefirstamendment.mtsu.edu · primary source · cited for: supports
- 3Joint statement of journalism-support organizations on ...nahj.org · not rated · cited for: supports
- 4What 100-plus federal actions reveal about the Trump administration's campaign against the presspoynter.org · not rated · cited for: supports
- 52026 White House press banen.wikipedia.org · not rated · cited for: supports, context
- 6US judge blocks Pentagon policy threatening journalists ...abc.net.au · not rated · cited for: supports
- 7Trump team applying pressure to media: Tell the war's ...winnipegfreepress.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 8Trump team applying pressure on media: Tell the war's story the way we see itnewindianexpress.com · not rated · cited for: supports
- 9Press freedom in the US - Committee to Protect Journalistscpj.org · not rated · cited for: supports
- 10United Statesen.sipiapa.org · not rated · cited for: context
Where this claim was made
Said in 1 published post