President Averages 1.6 Daily Posts Attacking News Outlets While Praising Fox News and Threatening Broadcast Licenses

President Donald Trump has intensified his war against the media during his second term, posting direct commentary about news organizations 529 times in just 11 months—averaging 1.6 attacks per day—according to an analysis by Axios of his Truth Social activity from his January 20, 2026 inauguration through December 15.

The barrage extends beyond social media criticism to unprecedented presidential involvement in broadcast licensing decisions and public media funding, raising alarm among press freedom advocates who warn of systematic threats to democratic institutions.

Daily Media Attacks Become Presidential Routine

Axios analyzed Trump's original Truth Social posts containing direct commentary about media outlets during his first 11 months in office. The 529 posts represent only Trump's own statements and exclude hundreds of reposts sharing others' media criticism, suggesting the actual frequency of media-focused activity is substantially higher.

The analysis found that approximately 5% of Trump's total Truth Social posts directly targeted media organizations—an extraordinary focus for a sitting president managing multiple domestic and international crises.

"This level of sustained attention to attacking the press is unprecedented for a modern American president," said one media scholar who requested anonymity due to concerns about becoming a presidential target.

Sharp Divide: Praise for Allies, Attacks on Critics

Trump's media commentary splits sharply along lines of coverage favorability, according to the Axios review.

Outlets Receiving Praise:

• Fox News, particularly the morning program "Fox & Friends," received consistent positive mentions. Trump has maintained a close relationship with the show since his first term, frequently calling in for interviews and citing its coverage.

Outlets Under Attack:

• The New York Times: A longstanding legal adversary, the newspaper faced persistent negative commentary throughout the analysis period
• CNN: Branded "Fake News" since Trump's first term, the network remained a primary target
• The Wall Street Journal: Despite its conservative editorial stance, the publication drew Trump's ire
• CBS: Particularly its flagship news program "60 Minutes"
• ABC: Currently engaged in regulatory disputes with the administration

Notably, most outlets receiving concentrated criticism are currently involved in legal disputes or regulatory conflicts with Trump or his administration, suggesting the social media attacks function as strategic pressure rather than mere venting.

From Outlets to Individuals: Targeting Journalists

Trump's attacks have expanded beyond institutional criticism to name individual journalists and specific programs. The Axios analysis found a pattern of personalized praise for favorable coverage and direct attacks on critical reporters.

Press freedom organizations warn that presidential targeting of individual journalists can trigger online harassment and physical threats, creating a chilling effect on investigative reporting.

Truth Social: The Unfiltered Presidential Megaphone

Launched in 2022 after Trump's removal from Twitter (now X), Truth Social has become his primary communication channel. During his second term, Trump frequently uses the platform to announce policy decisions, personnel changes, and diplomatic messages before traditional media outlets receive information.

The platform's structure allows Trump to bypass traditional media gatekeepers and communicate directly with supporters, ensuring his criticism of news organizations reaches audiences without journalistic mediation or fact-checking.

Regulatory Threats: Licenses and Funding

Beyond social media rhetoric, Trump has broken with presidential precedent by directly involving himself in areas traditionally insulated from political interference:

Broadcast Licensing: Trump has repeatedly raised questions about network broadcast licenses, historically handled by the independent Federal Communications Commission without presidential intervention.

Public Media Funding: The president has frequently mentioned federal support for public broadcasting, suggesting potential cuts or conditions—a domain where presidents traditionally defer to Congress.

These interventions represent tangible threats beyond online criticism, according to media law experts.

"When a president talks about broadcast licenses or public media funding while simultaneously attacking specific outlets, those aren't abstract policy discussions—they're direct threats with real regulatory power behind them," explained one First Amendment attorney.

Press Freedom Organizations Sound Alarm

American press freedom advocates have expressed growing concern about the systematic nature of Trump's media offensive.

"A president using the power of his office to conduct sustained, personalized attacks on journalists and news organizations—while simultaneously threatening their business models through regulatory action—represents a fundamental threat to press freedom," said one journalism advocacy group representative.

The Committee to Protect Journalists noted that such presidential behavior mirrors patterns seen in countries with deteriorating press freedom, where leaders use a combination of public attacks, legal pressure, and regulatory threats to intimidate independent journalism.

Supporters: Countering Media Bias

Trump supporters and conservative media critics argue the president is exercising legitimate free speech to counter what they view as systematic bias in mainstream media coverage.

"The president has every right to call out unfair reporting and biased coverage," said one conservative media analyst. "This isn't attacking press freedom—it's using his own freedom of speech to hold the media accountable."

They point to studies showing negative coverage patterns and argue that Trump's direct communication via Truth Social allows him to present unfiltered information to the public without media interpretation.

A Presidency Defined by Media Warfare

Trump's media obsession—consuming 5% of his social media output and influencing policy priorities from broadcast regulation to public media funding—represents a defining characteristic of his second term.

The 529 documented attacks in 11 months mark an escalation from his first term, when media criticism was frequent but less systematically integrated with regulatory pressure.

As Trump's second term continues, the tension between presidential criticism of press coverage and the constitutional protection of press freedom remains a central flashpoint in American democracy—one being fought daily on Truth Social, one post at a time.

Sources:

• Axios analysis of Trump Truth Social posts (January 20 - December 15, 2026)
• Press freedom organization interviews
• Media law expert commentary
• Truth Social platform data