FREDONIA PROJECT - SITREP 30: U.S. PRESIDENT TRUMP AND HIS BATTLE WITH THE PRESS
CABLE ID: 2026-0924-FRED/WASH/SITREP-030
DATE-TIME GROUP:0241800ZSEP 026.
FROM: EMBASSY OF FREDONIA, WASHINGTON, D.C.
TO: MFA NAGADOCHES
CLASSIFICATION: CONFIDENTIAL // FREDONIAN EYES ONLY
SUBJECT: U.S. PRESIDENT TRUMP AND HIS BATTLE WITH THE PRESS:
SUMMARY: IN ACCORDANCE WITH MFA DIRECTIVE 1826-APRIL-1 THIS EMBASSY HAS INITIATED A REGULAR SERIES OF ANALYTICAL DISPATCHES REGARDING THE INTERNAL DYNAMICS OF THE UNITED STATES. THE SERIES, DESIGNATED “THE FREDONIA PROJECT,” WILL BE CIRCULATED UNDER STANDARD SITREP PROTOCOL. UNAUTHORIZED PUBLICATION HAS BEEN OBSERVED VIA THIRD-PARTY ENTITY KNOWN AS “THE STEADY STATE.” PRESUMED LEAK. NO ACTION REQUIRED.
On Friday, 18 September 2026, Donald Trump banned CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House and its grounds, claiming, with no evidence, that that these publications are publishing “fake news” and “reporting fiction and lies.” The White House deactivated press credentials for each of those organizations, barring the reporters from any and all access. All three press organizations filed a lawsuit seeking to restore their access and the other major television networks suspended their shared pool coverage in solidarity. In response to the lawsuit, the DC District Court issued an order directing the White House to let the press in. As of 11:30 AM on the 24th of September, the White House had not yet complied. The court scheduled a hearing for noon.(Ambassador Comments: Most legal scholars consider this an outrageous breach of the US Constitution’s First Amendment. That the major news outlets stood firmly with the three outlets which had been banned should give American people some faith in the Fourth Estate’s commitment to the Constitution. This is a serious moment, their action demonstrates to the American people how to respond.
Reporters from The Fredonia Free Press were dispatched to the White House at about 7:00 AM EST 24 September. They reported back at noon that the White House had complied with the court order, and readmitted the previously barred CNN and MSNOW reporters. There is some reporting that the White House alleged that they had made press passes available by 9:55 AM EST, but per our intrepid Fredonia Free Press reporters, no one was able to access the White House grounds until well into the 11 AM hour. )
To reiterate, the importance of this story, the refusal of the press to back down, is that it demonstrates to the U.S. population and the world that standing up to this particular bully has, at least until now, proven successful. And, it should be the strategy from now on.)
As background, here follows a look-at and analysis behind Trump’s ongoing war with the U.S. press.
Of course, all leaders of all nations and other groups get enormous amounts of press coverage, and the U.S. President certainly receives more than his share. Throughout recent history, each U.S. president has, at times, certainly wished for a friendlier, more pliant White House press corps; think Lyndon Johnson and the Viet Nam War; Richard Nixon and Watergate; Bill Clinton and Monica; George W. Bush and his Iraq war; and Joe Biden and his age, just to name a few.
More than any of his predecessors, however, Donald Trump has been particularly interested in and sensitive to his press coverage. He spent much of his pre-presidential adult life manipulating one of New York’s storied press operations to burnish his activities and improve his public persona. (Ambassador Comment: He seemingly successfully presented a public persona that exaggerated his (precious few) accomplishments and challenges in ways that just may have been designed to make him seem powerful, smart, rich, handsome and connected.)
Photos of, statements by, and general coverage of Donald Trump was most often printed on Page Six of the New York Post. The New York Post is a conservative, daily, tabloid, and Page Six of the Post is known for its cheeky, non-neutral tone, and its exclusive scoops on celebrity relationships and high society scandals. It was created in November 1976 at the behest of Trump friend/acquaintance/news guy, Rupert Murdoch who had purchased the Post. Donald Trump counted on it to boost his fame, looks ( note that this was 40 years ago...) and exposure. (Ambassador Comment: Trump clearly misses that relationship and that coverage, and, I’d wager, those youthful looks . In January 1977, Page Six took its place as a leader in the coverage of gossip and entertainment, celebrity comings, goings and doings in New York and anywhere else anyone from this group of people popped up. This is where Donald Trump learned what a newspaper could be and do for him, and is likely the only bit of newsprint that the now-U.S. President has ever digested on a regular basis. All of which may explain what today’s Trump expects from the press.)
Founded in 2016, The Steady State is a nonprofit 501(c)(4) organization of more than 400 former senior national security professionals. Our membership includes former officials from the CIA, FBI, Department of State, Department of Defense, and Department of Homeland Security. Drawing on deep expertise across national security disciplines, including intelligence, diplomacy, military affairs, and law, we advocate for constitutional democracy, the rule of law, and the preservation of America’s national security institutions.