What does Donald Trump think free speech means?

This week, the US president has announced he is suing the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/16/trump-new-york-times-lawsuit" rel="nofollow">New York Times</a> for $15bn, and gloated that the late-night TV show <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2025/sep/18/jimmy-kimmel-live-suspended-indefinitely-after-hosts-charlie-kirk-comments" rel="nofollow">Jimmy Kimmel Live!</a> had been suspended. JD Vance has also promised to crack down on <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/sep/15/jd-vance-charlie-kirk-podcast" rel="nofollow">‘far left’</a> groups. <br> <br> Jonathan Freedland speaks to the president of <a href="https://www.thenation.com/" rel="nofollow">The Nation</a><em> </em>magazine, Bhaskar Sunkara, about the future of the constitutional right to free speech for Americans who disagree with Trump