Psaki: News reports will 'get killed,' 'muted down' amid Trump pressure
Former White House press secretary and current MSNBC anchor Jen Psaki predicted President Trump's hostile posture toward news outlets will have a chilling effect on the media.
"I am newly on the media side of things, I’ve worked with media for more than two decades, where the decisions are made are often behind the scenes. So there is no media organization or media outlet or a reporter who is going to say, 'We are going to obey in advance now.' That’s not how it is going to work," Psaki told host Stephen Colbert on Wednesday on "The Late Show."
"What happens is stories are killed, voices aren’t invited on, stories are muted, they're watered down," she added.
The Biden-era press secretary cited the resignation of "60 Minutes" producer Bill Owens amid Trump's lawsuit against CBS over an interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris as one example.
The president and his allies have regularly ridiculed mainstream media outlets and broadcast networks they feel are not supportive enough of his agenda.
The White House has sought to give more opportunities to conservative media outlets and "new media" members while taking control of the press pool covering the president.
Trump has threatened several of the major news networks and suggested his Federal Communication Commission is considering pulling their broadcast licenses.
Psaki, who worked for former President Biden, is a frequent critic of Trump and was recently given a nightly prime-time show on MSNBC.