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“Authoritarian regimes overseas have frequently turned to lawsuits and legal intimidation to silence reporters trying to expose corruption, violence, and misinformation. But now, warns renowned investigative journalist David Enrich, similar disturbing tactics are increasingly being adopted here in America.” — Ruth Ben-Ghiat, author of Strongmen

David Enrich, the New York Times Business Investigations Editor and #1 bestselling author of Dark Towers, now delivers his most important and far-reaching investigation yet, examining the concerted push by America’s powerful elites to silence criticism and protect themselves from scrutiny.

In 2019, a seemingly obscure legal case quietly signaled a dramatic shift: Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas openly suggested reconsidering the landmark New York Times v. Sullivan ruling. Though not widely known, Sullivan remains one of history’s most essential free-speech precedents, a ruling responsible for shaping modern journalism and empowering both prominent national publications and local reporters to relentlessly investigate wrongdoing and hold powerful people accountable.

Thomas’s statement marked the public emergence of a radical idea incubated for years on the conservative fringe, now swiftly gaining mainstream traction. From statehouses in Florida and small towns in New Hampshire to Donald Trump’s administration, a powerful alliance is gaining momentum. Comprised of influential political figures, wealthy businessmen, prominent lawyers, and organizations that resent scrutiny, this group seeks to silence or delegitimize anyone who dares challenge their unchecked dominance. Already, targeted lawsuits and legal intimidation tactics are being weaponized against journalists and independent voices across the country.

In Murder the Truth, Enrich masterfully traces the historical roots and contemporary consequences of this accelerating danger to American democracy. With Trump’s emboldened right-wing coalition determined to demonize and punish reporters and critics, Enrich’s investigative narrative sounds an urgent alarm about the peril facing freedom of the press and the public’s right to truth. Ultimately, Murder the Truth is a sobering account of power under the Trump administration—the lengths to which the wealthy and influential will go in protecting their status, controlling narratives, and undermining democracy by targeting journalists and critics who dare hold them accountable.