Trump’s crackdown on factchecker visas won't protect free speech | Margaret Sullivan

Tue, 09 Dec 2025

This isn’t about defending citizens. It’s about keeping the truth – and those skilled at protecting it – at a safe distance

Donald Trump’s war on the truth has taken many forms – spreading thousands of falsehoods, insulting journalists and suing news organizations.

It’s clear he desperately wants to control the message received by the public, and to have his version of reality go unchallenged, whether that’s about a “rigged” election or the decreased price of eggs.

Margaret Sullivan is a Guardian US columnist writing on media, politics and culture