Some of these attacks will be familiar: We've seen how litigation warfare can take down entire newsrooms, and how regulatory threats ("nice merger you got there") can cause CEOs to cower. But there are plenty of other tools in the toolbox. We should not be surprised if the first (and perhaps the second or third) prosecution of a U.S. journalist under the Espionage Act begins in 2026, or if the administration includes a few journalists among the "extremists" holding "anti-American views"
Bolton, who was indicted by a grand jury on Thursday on the charges following an FBI investigation lasting over three years, is the third political foe of Donald Trump to be indicted in the past three weeks, since the Republican sent a social media message to his attorney general, Pam Bondi, ordering her to force the prosecution of people he believes have harmed his political career.