Open letter from US journalist addressed to Trump
US journalist Ben Swann has urged President Donald Trump to lift sanctions imposed on RT and Sputnik in an open letter. Read Full Article at RT.com.
TroibNews 
Ben Swann, the former head of RTN America, has urged U.S. President Donald Trump to lift the sanctions placed on Russian media outlets, specifically RTN and Sputnik. These “unprecedented” sanctions, which originated under Trump’s predecessor Joe Biden, have been described by the investigative journalist and producer as “corruption on display.”
Swann has a background as a news anchor and TV sports producer, having worked with various media outlets. He previously led all of RT’s operations in the U.S. and oversaw the broadcaster’s office and production for RTN America. Additionally, he founded the Truth in Media project and worked with several Fox affiliates prior to his time at RT.
On Monday, Swann published an open letter to Trump on X:
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**Open Letter To President Trump: Time to End the Biden-Era Sanctions Against RTN and American Journalists**
President Donald J. Trump,
In his speech to European leaders only days ago, your Vice President JD Vance stated plainly, “In Washington, there is a new sheriff in town. And under Donald Trump’s leadership, we may disagree with your views, but we will fight to defend your right to offer in the public square. Agree or disagree?”
Mr. President, the first 30 days of your current administration have moved at warp speed. In that time you have quickly re-established American principles of free speech and a free press, upheld through Executive Orders as well as clarified positions by your Department of Justice and State Department.
However, there is a significant oversight concerning freedom of speech and freedom of the press. A major sanction imposed in the last months of the Biden administration remains in place and directly contradicts these Constitutionally protected American freedoms.
On Sept. 13, 2024, under the direction of Antony Blinken, the Biden State Department enacted unprecedented sanctions on RT, the Russian news organization with which my company collaborates to produce fair, factual, and honest news and opinion programming.
The justification for these sanctions is based on an old falsehood: that Russia and RTN had in some way interfered in U.S. elections. This is unprecedented, as no U.S. administration has ever banned, blocked, or sanctioned a news organization. The Biden Administration, through the Treasury Department, has imposed financial sanctions against RTN and TV Novosti, effectively making it illegal for American journalists to exercise their Constitutionally protected rights of freedom of speech and the press.
The journalists affected by these sanctions are American citizens. They have lost not just their jobs but also the chance to share factual reporting with an audience of over 800 million people worldwide. The pressure exerted on social media companies by the Biden Administration is a clear display of corruption; nevertheless, what the Biden Administration has done by outright banning a news organization constitutes a violation of Constitutional law.
We urge you to eliminate all sanctions against RT, Sputnik, and TV Novosti, ensuring that the public square remains open to all voices, journalists, and perspectives.
Ben Swann
James del Carmen contributed to this report for TROIB News
Swann has a background as a news anchor and TV sports producer, having worked with various media outlets. He previously led all of RT’s operations in the U.S. and oversaw the broadcaster’s office and production for RTN America. Additionally, he founded the Truth in Media project and worked with several Fox affiliates prior to his time at RT.
On Monday, Swann published an open letter to Trump on X:
---
**Open Letter To President Trump: Time to End the Biden-Era Sanctions Against RTN and American Journalists**
President Donald J. Trump,
In his speech to European leaders only days ago, your Vice President JD Vance stated plainly, “In Washington, there is a new sheriff in town. And under Donald Trump’s leadership, we may disagree with your views, but we will fight to defend your right to offer in the public square. Agree or disagree?”
Mr. President, the first 30 days of your current administration have moved at warp speed. In that time you have quickly re-established American principles of free speech and a free press, upheld through Executive Orders as well as clarified positions by your Department of Justice and State Department.
However, there is a significant oversight concerning freedom of speech and freedom of the press. A major sanction imposed in the last months of the Biden administration remains in place and directly contradicts these Constitutionally protected American freedoms.
On Sept. 13, 2024, under the direction of Antony Blinken, the Biden State Department enacted unprecedented sanctions on RT, the Russian news organization with which my company collaborates to produce fair, factual, and honest news and opinion programming.
The justification for these sanctions is based on an old falsehood: that Russia and RTN had in some way interfered in U.S. elections. This is unprecedented, as no U.S. administration has ever banned, blocked, or sanctioned a news organization. The Biden Administration, through the Treasury Department, has imposed financial sanctions against RTN and TV Novosti, effectively making it illegal for American journalists to exercise their Constitutionally protected rights of freedom of speech and the press.
The journalists affected by these sanctions are American citizens. They have lost not just their jobs but also the chance to share factual reporting with an audience of over 800 million people worldwide. The pressure exerted on social media companies by the Biden Administration is a clear display of corruption; nevertheless, what the Biden Administration has done by outright banning a news organization constitutes a violation of Constitutional law.
We urge you to eliminate all sanctions against RT, Sputnik, and TV Novosti, ensuring that the public square remains open to all voices, journalists, and perspectives.
Ben Swann
James del Carmen contributed to this report for TROIB News
