In place of legitimate reporters, Leavitt has invited newcomers who transform the press pool into a casting call for a Trump-era Miss USA.

As Trump tries to destroy one free institution after another—universities, law firms, independent public agencies, trade unions—sooner or later he will come for the press.

Most alarming part of all is what Bondi reportedly wants to do next. According to sources close to the Justice Department, she has argued that leakers — or even reporters — who provide information that she doesn’t like could be prosecuted for treason, a crime that carries the death penalty.

Yesterday, the United States Department of Defense released an AI-generated image venerating the leadership and strength of Pete Hegseth. Of course, there were problems, including the three fingers on one hand, but it doesn’t really matter how many fingers there are because the Party will tell you how many there are.

As with so many of the red alerts – lawsuits, threats, changes in long-held practices that protect the public’s right to know – the problem involves Donald Trump’s overweening desire to control the media.

In a country that routinely distrusts and villainizes local news, these attacks did not occur in a vacuum; if they can happen in Clarksdale or Marion, they can happen anywhere.