When It Comes to Reporting He Doesn't Like, Trump is the Bully Stealing Lunch Money. It Never Stops!

Sep 18, 2026 03:12 PM EDT, Fri

A Moment of Constitutional Clarity for America’s Media

Jen Psaki’s recent commentary — warning that Trump behaves like a bully who keeps taking your lunch money if you appease him — captures a deeper constitutional truth. When a president uses regulatory pressure to punish coverage he dislikes, every newsroom in America becomes vulnerable. The FCC’s posture toward ABC is not just a dispute with one network; it is a warning to all broadcasters and publishers.

Television networks, whether over‑the‑air or cable‑only, know how easily license reviews can become political weapons. Radio operators across AM, FM, and XM understand the danger of selective enforcement. Print journalism — from local papers to national magazines — has long recognized how administrative intimidation can chill reporting. Even outlets often perceived as friendly to Trump, including Fox News, OAN, and Newsmax, should not assume immunity. Once retaliation becomes normalized, loyalty offers no protection.

The First Amendment is not a courtesy extended by government; it is a constraint placed upon it. When officials use regulatory tools to coerce editorial behavior, they cross a constitutional boundary that protects all Americans, regardless of political affiliation.

As the nation approaches its 250th year, Benjamin Franklin’s warning still applies: “We must all hang together, or we shall all hang separately.”1 Media institutions must respond to this moment with unified resolve. A single outlet cannot withstand government intimidation alone — but a united press can.

Defending the First Amendment is not optional. It is the responsibility of every newsroom that relies on it.

  1. Call To Aaction: We Must Hang Together Or We Shall Hang Seperately — The American Revolution / HistoryCentral ↩

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