Once again, the administration of US president Donald Trump has threatened criminal prosecution of those exercising their right to speak out against US foreign policy. On September 16, 2026, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) issued a “reminder” to the public about laws at its disposal to go after those who it deems act in the service of a foreign power. The DOJ wrote that “if a person acts as an agent of any foreign power to carry out any public activity, including (but not limited to) public demonstrations designed to further the propaganda or other goals of the foreign power,” that person must register with the federal government or face possible criminal sanctions, including prison. Anyone familiar with the history of the United States, particularly the period immediately preceding US entry into World War II and the McCarthyite witch hunts that followed the war, will recognize this latest salvo for what it is — a brazen attempt to sow suspicion and fear and to still voices of dissent.