Shortly after he won reelection, Donald Trump was named Time's Person of the Year. That morning, standing in the New York Stock Exchange, he offered his view of the coverage he expected to receive as president in his second term: "The media is tamed down a little bit. They like us much better now, I think. If they don't, then we'll just have to take them on again, and we don't want to do that."

The last two years have proven him correct. Many of the largest legacy media outlets have cut back on their critical coverage of the White House. Others have literally cut checks to Trump and his favored causes, agreeing not only to submit but to pay for the privilege.

Even as his attacks on the press have accelerated, the institutional media has continued to host dinners in his honor — yucking it up with the likes of Stephen Miller, gleefully shaking Trump's hand, and laughing at his jokes.

Yet that capitulation doesn’t mean Trump has cut them any slack. As we approach the midterm elections, Trump's attacks on the media are intensifying, and the effects of years of compromise are catching up with the once-proud members of the fourth estate.

On Friday, Trump used his preferred method of communication, Truth Social, to announce his decision to ban CNN, MSNBC and Politico from the White House.

"Outlets shouldn't be able to constantly write or report FICTION and LIES when they're covering the President of the United States," he ranted. "Other Fake News Media Outlets to follow."

Trump spoke later in the day, complaining that "something is wrong with a country that can allow people to write purposely negative stories."

This wasn't the first time Trump tried to weaponize access to the White House, and each time, the press has blinked — teaching him that the tactic works. During his first term, he revoked CNN correspondent Jim Acosta's press credentials, which were eventually restored after a legal battle.

Last year, he barred the Associated Press from the president's press pool in retaliation for the outlet's refusal to call the Gulf of Mexico the "Gulf of America." The official White House website hosts a page attacking individual reporters and outlets by name as "media offenders," accusing them of lying.

Like Acosta, CNN, MSNBC and Politico responded to their ban with a lawsuit, suing Trump and several top administration officials for violating the First Amendment and the Due Process Clause. I am confident they will prevail: Their case has been assigned to the same judge who ruled in favor of Acosta. I expect access will be restored swiftly.

The other outlets in the White House press pool have responded in solidarity with the three targeted publications. So have several newspapers.

But solidarity statements and a winning lawsuit do not undo the damage Trump has done to the culture inside the leadership suites of corporate media. The First Amendment can remain strong in the courtroom, but if those in power invoke it only in the most extreme circumstances, it is no match for Trump.

I do not blame the targets of these unconstitutional actions for Trump's authoritarian tendencies. But I can fault them for the decisions they make in how they cover Trump's assault on free and fair elections and the rule of law. I can blame them for portraying the weaponization of government against his political opponents as a partisan dispute. I can criticize "both sides" coverage that normalizes Trump's attacks on democracy.

What too many in the media fail to see is that revoking credentials and banning outlets from White House grounds are the direct result of this spineless reporting and capitulation. The more legacy media displays weakness and shrinks from a fight, the harder this bully of a president will push.

I have little hope that this will change. The financial interests driving these decisions aren't going to change.

CNN will soon be under the control of David Ellison. We all saw what happened to CBS under his ownership. CNN will be next.

Against this backdrop, the good news is that we are witnessing the growth of pro-democracy media outlets like Democracy Docket. Trump hates me and the outlet I started because he cannot “tame” us. We will never bow down or obey.

Unlike legacy media outlets, we have no corporate backers. We are not beholden to shareholders who yield to Trump for their own perceived self-interest. Our only bias is being unapologetically pro-democracy.

That’s why the support of our members is so important. They are the engine that keeps Democracy Docket running — we quite literally would not exist without them. If you are able, please consider upgrading to a premium membership.

Our premium members empower us to continue the independent, hard-hitting reporting that the legacy media is failing to do. They help us meet this critical moment.

If you are not able to become a member right now, I understand, and thank you for being a loyal subscriber and reader. Your support — in every form it comes — means more to me than you know.

While the legacy media may not be up to taking on Trump, I promise you that Democracy Docket is ready to fight — thanks to you.