“Quiet!”: Trump lashed out (again) at reporter

As Donald Trump left the White House for a state visit to the UK, a tense interaction with ABC journalist John Lyons drew attention, once again marking his conflicted relationship with the media.

Trump lashed out at a reporter who asked him whether it was “appropriate” that the president is enriching himself while in office.

— The Daily Beast (@thedailybeast.bsky.social) 2025-09-16T15:07:06.604397Z

Shortly before boarding Marine One for his official trip to the UK, Donald Trump was challenged by reporters in the White House driveway.

“Quiet!”

-Donald Trump

Since his return to the presidency

Among them was John Lyons, Americas bureau chief for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), who was preparing a report for the Four Corners program. Lyons asked Trump a question about how his wealth has changed since he returned to the presidency in January 2025.

Trump’s response was swift and incisive. His tone escalated when he accused the journalist of damaging relations between the United States and Australia. Trump said the question was unwelcome and warned that it could have diplomatic repercussions, particularly in the context of the upcoming visit between him and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

Then, in a curt gesture, he shouted “Quiet!” at the journalist, ordering him to… well, be quiet, before continuing to his helicopter for departure.

The role of a journalist

John Lyons, ABC’s Americas bureau chief, defended his approach after the tense exchange.

He explained the role as a journalist is to hold the powerful to account, and that it’s perfectly acceptable to ask legitimate questions, politely, of the President of the United States.

Freedom of expression

Let’s not forget that Donald Trump is in hot water as ABC’s suspension of Jimmy Kimmel provokes outrage. The talk show was taken off the air after the host criticized the Trump administration’s handling of the murder of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk. The decision was immediately interpreted as an attack on free speech, fueled by the president’s public attacks and pressure from FCC Chairman Brendan Carr.

Across the media landscape, reaction was immediate. Stephen Colbert, Jon Stewart and Seth Meyers denounced what they saw as direct censorship, pointing out that sanctioning a host for government criticism sets a dangerous precedent. Several elected Democrats, but also some Republicans, have expressed their concerns, believing that the state should not weigh in on the programming of TV channels.

Beyond the Kimmel case, the affair rekindles the debate on the fragile relationship between executive power and the media in the United States. Combined with Trump’s injunctions for journalists to remain “silent”, it is seen by many as an attempt to silence dissenting voices, a move they argue endangers the constitutional principle of press freedom.

In @nytopinion.nytimes.comThe silencing of Jimmy Kimmel, following an explicit threat by Brendan Carr, the head of ABC’s regulator, the F.C.C., “is the mask of ‘free speech’ coming off for good,” Michael Hirschorn writes.

— The New York Times (@nytimes.com) 2025-09-19T17:30:04.577824Z