THE TRUMP REGIME WILL NOT SCARE JOURNALISTS INTO CAPITULATION!
On Friday, January 30th, we witnessed a vituperative and repulsive show of force by the Trump regime. Federal agents were sent to the homes of two Black independent journalists—colleagues of mine—and two Black activists. Don Lemon, Georgia Fort, Trahern Crews, and Jamael Lundy were all impacted by these actions.
This escalation follows a situation in which a group of protesters entered a Minnesota church to voice opposition to a pastor who leads the ICE field office overseeing the occupation of Minnesota—an occupation in which two individuals, Renne Good and Alexi Pretti, were murdered by federal agents.
As for the charges now being brought and the so-called “crimes” alleged, we already know the government’s case is deeply flawed. The Department of Justice’s first attempt to bring charges failed when a federal magistrate judge rejected it outright, stating that the DOJ did not have a case. Anyone who reads the subsequent 14-page indictment will arrive at the same conclusion. You do not need to be a lawyer to see that it is nonsensical—laden with language deliberately crafted to sound conspiratorial and violent, where no such evidence exists.
As I stated in a recorded message yesterday, the arrest of journalists is a brazen and dangerous attack on our First Amendment rights. We have a duty to report the news without fear, favor, or interference. What happened was abhorrent. This regime is making clear just how far it is willing to go. When armed federal agents can arrive at journalists’ homes and place them in handcuffs, we have entered a sinister chapter of authoritarian dictatorship rule. That is not hyperbole. I have been sounding this alarm for years, and now more people are beginning to see the reality of where we are as a country.
In footage from inside the home of Minnesota independent journalist Georgia Fort, she states: “Agents are at my door right now. I don’t feel like I have my First Amendment rights. It’s hard to understand how we have a Constitution—how we have constitutional rights—when you can just be arrested for being a member of the press.”
Let that sink in.
We are living through a constitutional crisis. I implore those who still underestimate this regime or believe that things cannot get worse to wake up. We are headed down an increasingly destructive path. This is a moment that demands collective action. If journalists can be arrested for reporting the truth, then no one is safe expressing dissent or voicing grievances against the government.
Now more than ever, it is imperative to support independent journalism and to fund the work we do. None of us are backed by corporate media. We persist because the truth matters. We will not cower in fear, nor will we capitulate to an administration that demands subservience. We are the press. Our role is to hold power accountable, expose corruption, and give people a voice in their own communities. In the face of these targeted and nefarious threats, we must continue this work—fearlessly, relentlessly, and with your support.
