As President Trump set out to systematically eliminate or intimidate those who stood in his way — inspectors general, judges, law firms — the news media loomed as one of his most stubborn obstacles. Or so it seemed.

Jim Rutenberg, a writer at large for The New York Times, explains how Mr. Trump is circumventing and undermining the fourth estate in a way no president before him ever has.

Guest: Jim Rutenberg, a writer at large for The New York Times and The New York Times Magazine.

Background reading: 

• President Trump’s blueprint for bending the media to his will has Nixon written all over it.

For more information on today’s episode, visit nytimes.com/thedaily. Transcripts of each episode will be made available by the next workday. 

Photo: Tierney L. Cross for The New York Times

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