Trump has embraced a disturbing strategy to silence free speech | David Bralow

"The Trump administration is embracing an intimidation strategy to silence critical media coverage. Here's how it works: a federal agency launches a pretextual investigation into a perceived enemy, keeps the investigation open to coerce compliance, and resists any effort to have a court review the lawfulness of the agency's actions."

"Media Matters is a media watchdog. In 2023, it published an article detailing how advertising from companies such as Apple and IBM appeared next to pro-Nazi and other antisemitic content on X. The platform's owner, Elon Musk, responded with what he called a thermonuclear lawsuit against Media Matters, alleging the non-profit systematically manipulated X to defame his company."

"Then the FTC followed suit seeking details concerning Media Matters' reporting, communications with third parties, and six years of its financial information, potentially including donors. The FTC's intent was clear. Chairperson Andrew Ferguson vowed to target the radical left."

The Trump administration employs intimidation tactics through federal agencies to silence critical media coverage. The Federal Trade Commission launched a retaliatory investigation into Media Matters for America, a media watchdog organization, after it published reporting on antisemitic content appearing alongside advertisements on X. The investigation sought extensive financial records and communications, potentially exposing donor information. This pattern involves launching pretextual investigations, keeping them open to coerce compliance, and resisting judicial review. Seventeen non-profit organizations filed an amicus brief in federal appeals court to protect Media Matters' speech rights and challenge the investigation's lawfulness. Such investigations threaten non-profit organizations that provide critical information to the public.

Read at www.theguardian.com