The First to Fall: Why Authoritarians Always Attack the Press First
When the powerful fear accountability, they start by silencing the truth.
The free press is the first to fall.
Before the courts.
Before the ballot box.
Before the public even notices what’s happening.
When authoritarian leaders want to consolidate power, they don’t start by banning voting or rewriting constitutions.
They start by attacking the people who tell the story.
And they do it loud, often, and without apology.
👇 Like breakdowns like this? Subscribe now to get future posts in your inbox.
Donald Trump didn’t invent the phrase “enemy of the people.”
But he brought it back with force—and millions of Americans cheered.
From the moment he announced his first campaign, Trump went after journalists:
Mocking them by name
Threatening to revoke credentials
Suing for unfavorable coverage
Encouraging supporters to harass them at rallies
Calling them “disgusting,” “the most dishonest people,” and “scum”
He turned the press into the villain of the story—because in his version of America, truth is treason.
And it worked.
By the time he left office:
Trust in the media had plummeted.
Reporters faced increased threats and online abuse.
Public belief in facts—any facts—was fractured beyond recognition.
All of this wasn’t just a side effect.
It was the point.
Why the Press Is Always Targeted First
It’s not just Trump. It’s a playbook.
Every authoritarian movement starts by controlling the narrative:
Bolsonaro smeared journalists as “liars” and “communists.”
Orbán in Hungary shut down independent media almost entirely.
Putin’s regime poisons journalists—or jails them for decades.
Even in the U.S., state-level laws are criminalizing protest coverage.
Why? Because a free press means public accountability.
And public accountability is the enemy of unchecked power.
What Comes Next
Once trust in the press is gone, leaders can say anything—and people will believe it.
They can claim landslides when they lost.
They can blame others for crises they caused.
They can promise freedom while silencing dissent.
Without a functioning press, the truth becomes optional.
And when truth is optional, so is democracy.
What We Can Do
We don’t need to be journalists to defend journalism.
We can:
Subscribe to and support independent media (like this)
Push back on “fake news” rhetoric when we hear it
Amplify the work of local reporters who cover what national outlets won’t
Demand press protections at the state and federal level
Most of all—we can refuse to let the powerful tell the story unchallenged.
Because if we lose the press, we lose the light.
And without the light, everything that comes next gets a lot darker.
Stay Ready, Stay Grounded
Want a practical way to protect your family without spiraling into panic?
👉 Pre-order my new mini-course: Emergency Ready
Like this post?
👇 Subscribe to The Pathfinder Chronicles for weekly guides like this.