The White House Is Attacking Progressive Creators Like Me. Here’s Why It Won’t Work.

This article is part of TPM Cafe, TPM’s home for opinion and news analysis.

The White House recently published a new “Media Offenders” page on its official, taxpayer-funded website with a list of reporters and independent media who have criticized President Trump or the administration. This website included progressive content creators that it refers to as “deranged leftists” and “known liars.” 

My name is on the list. 

There are other independent creators, David Pakman and Ed Krassenstein, on the list too. We dared to criticize this administration and disagree with its policies — and are now being targeted personally by the President of the United States.

The White House wants you to see this list and ask: what did they do to get on the list? But what every American should be asking is: why does this list exist at all?

In a democratic society, journalists, independent media, and content creators like myself are supposed to scrutinize government officials. We are supposed to ask difficult questions. We are supposed to challenge official narratives. We are supposed to investigate claims made by people who wield enormous authority over our lives.

The real danger of a government-maintained list of media “offenders” is the message it sends. The message is that criticism is being tracked. That dissent will be categorized. That different opinions cannot be trusted and, in fact, are suspect. 

The goal of publishing a list like this is to silence voices on the internet like mine. Of course they had to go after content creators: we play an increasingly vital role in the information ecosystem. With a majority of Americans now getting at least some of their news through social media platforms, content creators have become an essential part of how Americans learn about government actions, public policy, elections, and the issues that shape their daily lives. We break down complex policy, bring attention to stories that might otherwise be overlooked, and engage audiences who often do not consume traditional television or newspaper coverage.

The administration’s attack on content creators and independent media is meant to have a chilling effect, making us produce weaker or fewer pieces of content. The strategy is sound: those of us on the list are seeing an influx of hate comments and death threats, and within my own network, some creators are being advised to get legal counsel and lie low. 

But this list isn’t going to silence me. In fact, many of my peers have applauded me for being included and are daring the administration to add them next. Like their efforts to silence Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert, this isn’t going to shut us up. We’ve been building a network of content creators through Chorus, a nonprofit learning community that is 165 creators and 180 million followers strong, and we are all ready to push back. 

Politicians always try to quiet their critics, but weaponizing government resources against opponents is different. The government commands vast institutional resources. When those powers are directed toward identifying critics, even symbolically, the consequences extend beyond the individuals named. Others watching take notice. It puts young journalists on notice. Independent creators on notice. Whistleblowers on notice. Sources deciding whether to come forward on notice. 

It should scare everyone that the administration is seeking to build a list of those who make or consume pro-democracy content. The Department of Homeland Security attempted to obtain Don Lemon’s subscriber list through a warrant. The Republican-controlled House Oversight Committee is trying to get a list of every content creator who joined or applied to be part of Chorus through a subpoena. DOJ has also subpoenaed Reddit and X for the personal information of people who criticized ICE anonymously. The Republicans are employing Nixon-era tactics to shut down its opposition. 

This issue is not a partisan one. Constitutional principles protect people we disagree with. A government secure in its legitimacy does not need a roster of media offenders. It can answer criticism with facts. It can defend its record in public. It can trust citizens to weigh competing arguments and reach their own conclusions.

The existence of a list dedicated to identifying critics suggests a different instinct — one that sees dissent as a problem to be managed rather than a democratic right to be protected. I don’t expect everyone to agree with my reporting, my analysis, or my conclusions. In fact, disagreement is the point.

Today my name may be on the list. Tomorrow it could be someone else’s.

The real question is whether Americans are willing to accept a government that keeps such lists in the first place. Because once criticism becomes an offense, democracy itself becomes the target.

Don’t let the administration silence us — or you. Tell the administration that their efforts to quash dissent are only going to make us louder. Share this oped. Follow the content creators in Chorus and in the broader pro-democracy ecosystem. Amplify our messages: post, retweet, share, amplify, like, follow, subscribe, and build an opposition that is too strong for the Trump White House and his allies to shut up.