Donald Trump says news outlets "should be brought up on Charges for TREASON" for false information

In March, Donald Trump posted on his Truth Social platform that certain news outlets “should be brought up on Charges for TREASON for the dissemination of false information,” according to a report from the Columbia Journalism Review. The remark fits a long pattern: over the past decade, the former president has repeatedly accused journalists, politicians, and others he views as opponents of betraying the nation. The CJR article notes that Trump has used the word “treason” in social-media posts more than fifty times since 2016, often in response to critical coverage—including during a May 15 exchange aboard Air Force One with New York Times correspondent David E. Sanger, whom Trump told that his reporting was “treasonous.” Legal experts quoted in the piece point out that the Constitution defines treason narrowly as levying war against the U.S. or aiding its enemies, a standard Trump’s accusations do not meet. Critics say such rhetoric aims to intimidate the press and erode public trust in journalism.