US President Trump added to Reporters Without Borders press freedom predators list
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has added U.S. President Donald Trump to its 2026 "Press Freedom Predators" gallery for the first time, accusing him of escalating an aggressive, systematic campaign against critical news organizations and weaponizing executive authority against the independent press since returning to the White House.
- World
- DPA
- Published Date: 10:07 AM 02 November 2026
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has added US President Donald Trump to its Press Freedom Predators list for 2026, accusing him of intensifying his campaign against media outlets since returning to the White House for a second term.
RSF accused Trump of deliberately wielding the power of his office against media organizations whose reporting he dislikes.
The United States now ranks 64th out of 180 countries in RSF's World Press Freedom Index.
Trump joins Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the list, published on Monday to mark the UN-recognized International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists.
The 2026 list names 33 individuals and organizations that RSF says deliberately undermine independent journalism.
Among those newly listed is Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi, whom RSF accuses of shutting down independent media outlets and having journalists imprisoned. Other figures and organizations named include the Israeli military, the Chinese Communist Party and criminal groups in Mexico.
French media mogul Vincent Bolloré and US tech billionaire Elon Musk also feature on the list.
US technology giants Alphabet and Meta are included because of their dominance of the digital advertising market, which RSF says puts media outlets under economic pressure.
Published at irregular intervals since 2001, the list is not exhaustive but aims to highlight individuals and organizations that severely restrict press freedom.
RSF accused Trump of deliberately wielding the power of his office against media organizations whose reporting he dislikes.
The United States now ranks 64th out of 180 countries in RSF's World Press Freedom Index.
Trump joins Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the list, published on Monday to mark the UN-recognized International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists.
The 2026 list names 33 individuals and organizations that RSF says deliberately undermine independent journalism.
Among those newly listed is Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sissi, whom RSF accuses of shutting down independent media outlets and having journalists imprisoned. Other figures and organizations named include the Israeli military, the Chinese Communist Party and criminal groups in Mexico.
French media mogul Vincent Bolloré and US tech billionaire Elon Musk also feature on the list.
US technology giants Alphabet and Meta are included because of their dominance of the digital advertising market, which RSF says puts media outlets under economic pressure.
Published at irregular intervals since 2001, the list is not exhaustive but aims to highlight individuals and organizations that severely restrict press freedom.
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