When Praise for the Press Masks Deeper Distrust: The Trump Administration’s Complex Dance with Media Accountability

In an era where the relationship between government and media is fraught with suspicion, last weekend’s U.S. military operation in Venezuela marked a rare moment when the Trump administration publicly thanked news organizations for exercising restraint. Yet this isolated gesture barely conceals a broader pattern of distrust that threatens both freedom of information and operational security. Can We Trust The Media to Act Responsibly—or Should Government Clamp Down? Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged on ABC’s “This Week” that several news outlets had advance knowledge about the mission targeting Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro but chose not to report it prematurely,...