Trump thinks the press is “the enemy of the people”
Trump has declared that the press is “the enemy of the people” — words borrowed from Joseph Stalin. Even Republicans like Senator Jeff Flake warn of of Trump's dangerous despotism and authoritarian-leaning attacks on the free press and the American public's right to the truth.
Posted by Need To Impeach on Friday, June 1, 2018
Read more: Using “fake news” term to silence opposition
When a leader calls any negative press “fake news,” that leader, not the press, should be under suspicion. Donald Trump’s attacks on the press, calling it “the enemy of the people,” follows Joseph Stalin’s footsteps.
Even Republicans like Sen. Jeff Flake (R-AZ) recognize the danger of Trump’s attacks on the free press:
Mr. President, it is a testament to the condition of our democracy that our own president uses words infamously spoken by Joseph Stalin to describe his enemies …
And, of course, the President has it precisely backward — despotism is the enemy of the people. The free press is the despot’s enemy, which makes the free press the guardian of democracy. When a figure in power reflexively calls any press that doesn’t suit him “fake news,” it is that person who should be the figure of suspicion, not the press.
Watch: Donald Trump is at war with the press and First Amendment
Attacking the Press
Trump has repeatedly attacked the press, and promises he will continue. This is a violation of the 1st Amendment of the Constitution, and a sign of authoritarianism