Threats by Kash Patel, President-elect Trump’s pick for FBI director, to use the power of the bureau to scrutinize news outlets critical of the incoming administration are sending a chill through the media, The Hlll reports.. First Amendment advocates say Patel’s rhetoric raises new questions about press freedoms during a second Trump administration and is intensifying worries about whether the president-elect will go after perceived enemies in the media. As Patel rose through the intelligence community and in Trump’s orbit, Patel publicly railed against the so-called “deep state,” which he argues worked to undermine Trump’s agenda during his first term. Part of this hostile apparatus, Patel and other Trump loyalists have said, are mainstream media outlets overly sympathetic to Democrats. “We will go out and find the conspirators, not just in government but in the media,” Patel told Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast. “Yes, we’re going to come after the people in the media who lied about American citizens who helped Joe Biden rig presidential elections. We’re going to come after you. Whether that’s criminally or civilly, we’re going to figure that out. But yeah, we’re putting you all on notice."
“There’s a lot of concern among the newsrooms we’ve spoken with about what to expect,” said Chuck Tobin, a First Amendment attorney who works with press freedom groups. “At the same time, there’s complete resolve to get information to the public about what this government is going to be up to.” Patel’s hostility toward the mainstream media is likely to come up during the confirmation process in the context of whether he or Trump will go after media critics. Trump told “Meet the Press” on Sunday that Patel is "going to do what he thinks is right. If they were crooked, if they did something wrong, if they have broken the law, probably. They went after me. You know, they went after me, and I did nothing wrong.” Department of Justice policy blocks the government from using subpoenas to seize the records of journalists in government leak investigations. DOJ can journalists’ records if they are suspected of committing a crime or working on behalf of a foreign adversary, or if investigators believe there is an imminent risk of death or harm without the records. Bruce Brown,of the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press said Patel would have limited power in going after journalists. “We are deeply concerned about the growing hostility and threats toward journalists, as well as the rhetoric expressed by some of the President-elect’s nominees,” The National Press Foundation said. “This increasing tension underscores the need for those in power to understand and appreciate the critical importance of a free and independent press.”
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