Chelsea Manning: Trump administration ‘clearly’ wants to go after journalists

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Former Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning on Sunday accused the Trump administration of “clearly” wanting to go after journalists by using the FBI and the Department of Justice.

Manning made the comments during a Sunday appearance on CNN’s “Reliable Sources” where she was asked whether Julian Assange’s arrest last month at the Ecuadorian embassy in London represented a threat to press freedom.

Manning surmised it was part of the Trump administration’s broader goal of prosecuting journalists.

FILE - In this May 2, 2018, file photo, Chelsea Manning attends a discussion at the media convention "Republica" in Berlin. (AP Photo/Markus Schreiber, File)

"I think that ultimately what they really want is to go after journalists. This administration clearly wants to go after journalists," Manning said.

If the Trump administration gets its way, Manning added, “I think we’re going to see national security journalists and a lot of disruptive processes, we’re probably going to see indictments and charges.”

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"Whenever a journalist makes a misstep, I think they're put on notice now that the FBI and the department of justice are going to go after them on the administration’s behalf."

Manning was released from a northern Virginia jail last week after a two-month stay for refusing to testify to a grand jury.

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Her lawyers said its likely Manning could be sent back to jail on contempt of court charges. She served seven years in a military prison for leaking classified diplomatic and military cables to WikiLeaks in 2010 before President Barack Obama commuted the remainder of her 35-year sentence.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.