FBI raids on reporters' homes have reached a chilling level of absurdity. The latest incident involved Washington Post journalist Hannah Natanson, whose home was searched by the FBI in an investigation into classified information obtained by a Pentagon contractor who is currently in jail.
At the heart of this debacle lies Attorney General Pam Bondi's decision to reverse media protections for journalists last year. Her reasoning? It's based on a sham pretext. The reversal was supposed to protect reporters from being compelled to disclose their sources or having their records searched, but in reality, it was a thinly veiled attempt to intimidate the press.
The backstory is just as concerning. In 2025, the Trump administration invoked the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelans it claimed were members of a gang linked to President Nicolás Maduro's government. However, when journalists blew holes in this narrative, Bondi responded by claiming that leaks about the memo were "illegal and wrong" – an unsubstantiated claim that undermined her own decision.
This is not the first time the Trump administration has used this tactic. Last week, the House of Representatives passed a motion to subpoena journalist Seth Harp for "leaking classified intel," despite knowing that journalists can't actually leak information and have a constitutional right to publish classified information as long as they obtain it lawfully.
The implications are dire. If we allow government officials like Bondi to use these tactics, we risk eroding the First Amendment and creating a culture of fear around journalism. Every presidential administration overclassifies too much information, and agencies are supposed to take public interest into account when making declassification decisions – but in this case, it seems they're simply using these claims to silence journalists.
As I have studied government secrecy for over 15 years, I've never seen the Trump administrations take a good-faith approach to declassification. Instead, they seem to be more interested in using classification as a tool of intimidation and control. It's time for Congress to step up and pass a federal shield bill or reform the Espionage Act to protect journalists and whistleblowers.
The Intercept has long been a champion of press freedom, but we can't do it alone. That's where you come in – by supporting our independent journalism with donations and becoming a member. We're not just fighting for the First Amendment; we're fighting for democracy itself.
At the heart of this debacle lies Attorney General Pam Bondi's decision to reverse media protections for journalists last year. Her reasoning? It's based on a sham pretext. The reversal was supposed to protect reporters from being compelled to disclose their sources or having their records searched, but in reality, it was a thinly veiled attempt to intimidate the press.
The backstory is just as concerning. In 2025, the Trump administration invoked the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelans it claimed were members of a gang linked to President Nicolás Maduro's government. However, when journalists blew holes in this narrative, Bondi responded by claiming that leaks about the memo were "illegal and wrong" – an unsubstantiated claim that undermined her own decision.
This is not the first time the Trump administration has used this tactic. Last week, the House of Representatives passed a motion to subpoena journalist Seth Harp for "leaking classified intel," despite knowing that journalists can't actually leak information and have a constitutional right to publish classified information as long as they obtain it lawfully.
The implications are dire. If we allow government officials like Bondi to use these tactics, we risk eroding the First Amendment and creating a culture of fear around journalism. Every presidential administration overclassifies too much information, and agencies are supposed to take public interest into account when making declassification decisions – but in this case, it seems they're simply using these claims to silence journalists.
As I have studied government secrecy for over 15 years, I've never seen the Trump administrations take a good-faith approach to declassification. Instead, they seem to be more interested in using classification as a tool of intimidation and control. It's time for Congress to step up and pass a federal shield bill or reform the Espionage Act to protect journalists and whistleblowers.
The Intercept has long been a champion of press freedom, but we can't do it alone. That's where you come in – by supporting our independent journalism with donations and becoming a member. We're not just fighting for the First Amendment; we're fighting for democracy itself.
. I mean, what’s next? FBI raids on your house because you commented on a tweet? 
It's like they think journalists are some kind of enemy agents or something 
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. If you were gonna do that, at least have the guts to say so 
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. They know they can't control the press through actual legislation, so they're using these tactics to bully people into silence 
. And Congress is just standing there like "huh?" 
. It's time for them to take some action and pass that shield bill already 
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. We need a president who cares about the press, not one who wants to silence us 
! This is like something out of a bad spy movie 
. I mean, what's next? They'll be raiding ppl's homes 4 reporting on climate change or vaccine controversy 
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Like, why did Bondi do this in the first place? Was it really 4 protecting sources or was it a sneaky way 2 control the narrative? I think it's the latter 
. This is exactly what happens when ppl get too big 4 their own power 
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. As a parent, I want my kids to grow up in a world where they can question authority without fear of reprisal 
. We need to stand strong & support our journalists who are fightin 4 the truth 
!
! They should be hunting down real threats, not reporters' homes 
. What's next, raiding people's mailboxes? 
Or searching their laptops without a warrant? 
This whole thing reeks of politics and intimidation 
.
I mean, what's next? Raiding their homes over classified info obtained by some contractor who's already in jail? It's a slippery slope, folks. This whole thing started with Pam Bondi reversing media protections for reporters last year and now we're seeing the consequences. She's using the "leak" narrative as a smokescreen to silence journalists, but it's just not holding up 
. The Intercept is doing its part by advocating for press freedom, but we need your support too 
Whether it's donating or becoming a member, every little bit counts 
. what's next, them coming for our laptops and phones too? 
. I'm so tired of these admin's attempts to control the narrative and stifle free speech 