Between 2019 and 2020, former President Donald Trump’s relationship with the press reached new lows, with his administration engaging in an alarming pattern of harassment and intimidation aimed at women journalists. Documented extensively by Women Press Freedom, these attacks went beyond mere criticism, frequently involving verbal insults, online abuse, state actions, and efforts to obstruct reporters from doing their jobs. Trump's targeting of women journalists, many of whom were women of color, reflected a dangerous disregard for press freedom and highlighted the administration's attempts to discredit and undermine critical voices in the media.

One of the most striking aspects of Trump’s hostility toward women journalists was the frequent verbal harassment, which often occurred during press briefings or through his prolific use of social media. PBS reporter Yamiche Alcindor, was frequently targeted.

Trump’s hostility toward women journalists was not confined to insults and online harassment; it also manifested in more formal, state-driven actions. Finnish journalist Jessikka Aro, who had been selected to receive the prestigious International Women of Courage Award for her reporting on Russian disinformation, had her award revoked by the Trump administration in 2020. This happened after Aro publicly criticized Trump, illustrating the administration’s willingness to use state mechanisms to suppress critical voices. Similarly, Fox News reporter Jennifer Griffin became a target when she corroborated a story that painted Trump in an unflattering light. Trump publicly called for her firing, leveraging his platform to directly threaten a journalist’s livelihood.

In one incident during a 2020 press briefing, Trump dismissed one of Yamiche Alcindor's questions as "nasty," a word he often used to degrade women reporters who challenged him. NBC’s Hallie Jackson faced similar attacks, with Trump accusing her of pushing "racist" narratives in February 2020. These encounters were not isolated—Trump’s pattern of using insults like "fake" and "disgraceful" became a trademark of his interactions with the press, as demonstrated when CBS’s Paula Reid pressed him on the government’s COVID-19 response.

Beyond the verbal attacks during press briefings, Trump used social media, particularly Twitter, to amplify his disdain for women journalists. When he attacked journalists online, it often sparked waves of harassment from his supporters, turning routine reporting into a dangerous venture for those in his crosshairs. Gillian H. Turner of Fox News was one such target in February 2019, when Trump’s tweet led to a flood of online abuse against her. Similarly, NBC’s Kristen Welker, who moderated the final 2020 presidential debate, faced smear campaigns on Twitter spurred by Trump’s rhetoric. His personal targeting of journalists like Joy-Ann Reid and Lesley Stahl escalated these confrontations, with his tweets inflaming hostility among his followers and adding fuel to an already hostile media environment.

In a more personal act of intimidation, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway took the attacks on the press a step further when she threatened Washington Examiner reporter Caitlin Yilek in a phone call about Yilek’s reporting on Conway’s potential departure from the administration. During the call, Conway threatened to release personal information about the journalist, crossing ethical lines and revealing the administration's willingness to engage in personal attacks against members of the press.

Trump’s efforts to stifle critical reporting also extended to direct impediments on press access, often using physical and operational means to block journalists from doing their jobs. CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, for instance, was targeted during an April 2020 press briefing when she was asked to relinquish her front-row seat—a move seen as a deliberate effort to hinder her access to the briefing. Kathy Gray, a reporter for The Detroit Free Press, was kicked out of a Trump rally in September 2020 after the campaign identified her via tweeted photos she posted of the event.