Sunset of Free Speech in the Trump Administration

TEHRAN (Defapress) - The United States, which has always been known as the cradle of democracy and freedom of speech in recent years, has witnessed worrying signs of the decline of these fundamental values. According to global surveys conducted in 2025, most indicators of freedom of speech and the future of this issue in the United States have declined significantly.

As the news and reports that relate to the indicators of freedom of speech and its future in the world tell, the position of the United States in this field has declined significantly; so that the United States is currently ranked 9th in the world in terms of freedom of speech and its support. This decline is quite evident not only in American society but also in the actions of the Donald Trump administration and political figures in this country.

But the most important point here is that a new chapter in the decline of freedom of speech in America has begun with the coming to power of Donald Trump in 2025. After Trump came to power, we have witnessed the publication of news and reports of censorship, pressure on the media, and the imposition of new restrictions on the media, all of which have portrayed a picture of a significant and dramatic decline in freedom of speech in America.

One of the most prominent cases of violations of freedom of speech is the abuse of the judicial system and apparatus by US President Donald Trump to silence opponents and media critics. In September of this year, Trump filed a $15 million lawsuit against the New York Times, four journalists, and a publisher (Penguin Random House), claiming that these media outlets had damaged his reputation by publishing defamatory material.

This is while a court in the United States has rejected Donald Trump's $15 billion lawsuit against the New York Times due to its inappropriate content. In this regard, Judge Steven Douglas Merryday considered Trump's lawsuit against the New York Times, four journalists, and a publisher to be lengthy and tedious, and dismissed it for inappropriate content, calling it a clearly improper and unauthorized attempt to attack his opponents.

On the other hand, American legal experts consider Trump's $15 million lawsuit against the media to be baseless and believe that the main goal of the US President's actions is to suppress independent reporting. Such actions, which Trump has previously taken against other media outlets, indicate an abuse of power to limit the freedom of the press and media in America and undermine democratic values ​​such as transparency and accountability.

Another case that shows the further decline of freedom of expression under the Trump administration is the indefinite closure of the "Jimmy Kimmel" program by ABC in September 2025. The decision, which was made after the statements of American comedian Jimmy Kimmel about the shooting of Charlie Kirk (a conservative activist), has become extremely controversial.

The shutdown of Jimmy Kimmel Live has sparked a backlash in Hollywood, with many critics calling it a sign of political pressure on media content and the end of free speech in the public media. Critics argue that such censorship is often driven by government or conservative pressure, a phenomenon that severely threatens and erodes democratic values ​​such as diversity of opinion and freedom of expression.

Of course, Donald Trump does not have a good record when it comes to dealing with journalists and media people, and statistics show that since his return to the White House in 2025, we have witnessed his violent interactions with journalists. Moreover, Trump’s inappropriate interactions with journalists have intensified even after the start of his second term. The US President's history of interactions with the media also reflects the bitter truth that he has simply become angry with reporters and rebuked them for asking questions that he considers "irrelevant" or unpleasant.