You don’t really need to call out for direct attacks on the press. By a little judicious suggestion and careful dog-whistling you can implicitly
create the conditions so it emerges “spontaneously”.

That way, nobody can accuse you of deliberately intimidating a free press from reporting on you.

This will escalate, to slander and libel litigation against press organizations, nuisance lawsuits against reporters and news outlets, restrictive legislation to muzzle the press (disguised as anti fake news and anti terrorism measures), tax and other business obstacles and pressure on advertisers will be gradually but systematically instituted. "Illegal", you say? Well, that's up to the courts, and they're being quietly stacked right before our eyes. Besides, what does it matter what a court says, if law enforcement doesn't carry out its decisions, and gerrymandered legislators don't make sure they do.

Read your Shirer. It doesn't happen all of a sudden. The old order is quietly dismantled and the new one is assembled piece by piece and one day you wake up and you live in a fascist state. And they whine about Godwin's Law.