Trump Follows The Arab Dictator’s Guide To Dealing With The Media

Most people would have viewed it as the most minor slight. Nearly all experienced leaders would have overlooked it. But the photo of Hosni Mubarak and the Belgian Foreign Minister, with the sole of Karel De Gucht’s shoe facing the then Egyptian president, insulted the Arab leader so much that he had the AFP photographer who took it permanently banned from the presidential palace.
Stories of heads of state interfering with the work of the media often crop up in seemingly trivial ways. But these interjections pave the way for more repressive measures, eventually threatening the foundations of a free press.
And they’re not just happening overseas: Last week, President-elect Donald Trump lashed out at the media — specifically NBC — for publishing unflattering photos of him that show his double chin. As a candidate, Trump was never shy about conveying his dismay for conventional media. Now, as the next president, he is poised to threaten it.
His ongoing rhetoric against the press and threats against specific outlets may seem novel and bold, especially to his supporters whose distrust in it has served as a rallying point, but nothing about these tactics are new. Before even moving into the Oval Office, Donald Trump has engaged in practices used by strongmen in other countries for decades — practices upon which more serious crackdowns are built.