A Potential Second Term for Trump Might Involve Legal Action Against Media, Says Former Administration Official

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A former official from Donald Trump’s administration, Kash Patel, expressed on Tuesday that if Trump were to be re-elected, his government might take legal action against members of the media, either through criminal or civil courts.

Patel, who previously held key positions in the Justice and Defense Departments as well as the National Security Council, made these remarks on Steve Bannon’s podcast. He emphasized that a second Trump administration would actively seek out those they believe conspired in the media regarding the 2020 election, which Trump lost to Joe Biden.

Despite Trump and his supporters consistently asserting that the election was fraudulent, this claim has been refuted by a wide range of authorities, including federal and local officials, various courts, top ex-campaign staff, and even Trump’s own attorney general, who found no substantial evidence of the alleged fraud. Furthermore, Trump has incorporated the promise of “retribution” into his campaign narrative as he pursues another term.

Following Patel’s comments, Trump’s campaign team issued a strong statement dissociating themselves from these assertions.

There has been no response from the campaign regarding inquiries about whether Trump plans to implement the measures Patel described.

Currently, Patel is associated with the Center for Renewing America, a right-wing think tank. This organization is part of a broader conservative network preparing for either a second Trump term or another conservative presidency in line with their ideologies.

In his discussion with Bannon, Patel stated, “We’re going to target media personnel who falsely accused American citizens of assisting Joe Biden in manipulating presidential elections. Whether the approach will be criminal or civil, we’re still deciding. But consider this a warning.”

Trump has a history of antagonizing the media, often referring to them as “Fake News” and “Enemy of the People,” a phrase notoriously associated with Soviet leader Josef Stalin.

In a recent Truth social network post, Trump reiterated these terms and proposed investigating NBC News and MSNBC for “Country Threatening Treason” and limiting their broadcasting access.

Trump declared, “Upon my presidential victory, I openly and proudly commit to scrutinizing the LameStream Media for their deliberately deceitful and corrupt reporting. Why should NBC or any other media outlet exploiting the highly valued American Airwaves do so freely? They represent a direct threat to democracy and are, in fact, the enemy of the people. The deceitful media must face significant consequences for their actions against our once-great Nation.”

During the interview, Bannon hinted that Patel could be a potential CIA director in a new Trump administration.

The Trump campaign has not commented on the possibility of appointing Patel as the CIA director.

Patel was present at the launch of Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign at Mar-a-Lago and attended a speech at Trump’s Bedminster resort following Trump’s court appearance on charges of mishandling classified documents.

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This article includes contributions from Jill Colvin, a reporter with Big Big News, based in New York.

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More about Trump media retaliation

• Kash Patel’s Comments on Media Retaliation
• Trump Campaign’s Response to Patel’s Remarks
• Roles of Kash Patel in Trump Administration
• Overview of the Center for Renewing America
• Donald Trump’s Historical Stance on Media