Yesterday Donald Trump, who could barely stay awake in the Oval Office and struggled to understand questions he was asked, announced that he was “banning” CNN, MS NOW and Politico from the White House. He also threatened The New York Times and The Washington Post, calling them “disgusting” and calling all the news organizations “fake news” and “negative.” When a reporter said that China is one of the most repressive countries for journalists in the world, Trump said, proudly it seemed, “Well, I don’t know about that. I think we’re repressive also.”
This could be a discussion of the First Amendment, which articulates our sacred right to free speech and a free press, and which millions of Americans have fought and died for. This could be about deepening dictatorship, when one man decides to trash our Constitution and silence journalists telling the truth about his war in Iran, the rising price of gas, the non-stop corruption, the attack on institutions like the Kennedy Center and more.
Rightly, pro-First Amendment organizations condemned Trump’s threat. Representatives of CNN and Politico said they are ready to defend their free press freedoms in court. “We have a right under the U.S. Constitution to do that reporting without hindrance or interference from the government,” said Emily Kuhn, a CNN spokeswoman.
I think it’s worth considering whether the response to Trump’s attacks on these organizations should be for every news outlet to boycott the Trump White House. They don’t need to stand there to do their reporting. See how Trump likes it when no legitimate news outlet shows up for his tantrums and lies.
But when Trump said yesterday, “There’s something wrong with a country that can allow people to write purposely negative stories,” he’s not only telling us that he doesn’t understand or care about the First Amendment. He’s also bemoaning his increasing inability to handle truthful coverage of his failing regime. The cries of “fake news” are growing louder and more frequent. You might say he’s collapsing.
When one reporter asked how a ban would actually work, a befuddled Trump had no clear idea except to say, “I don’t want them in my office.” It remains to be seen whether the named outlets simply keep showing up at the White House, ignoring Trump’s latest outburst.
The more pressing question is whether they and other organizations will finally dedicate aggressive daily coverage to Trump’s obvious cognitive decline and the danger it’s causing to our country and the world. When a reporter asked about his planned message for a coming speech at the United Nations, Trump blathered on about how his Teleprompter at the UN didn’t work the last time he was there and the escalator stopped. “I’ve built a lot of escalators,” he boasted.
So what do you think? Is Trump collapsing? Do you expect to see more unhinged outbursts, more extreme and illegal demands, more desperate measures in response to a likely decimation of the Republicans in the midterms? Do you think the response is to treat each of these escalations with the same seriousness that we would normally attach to the policymaking and actions of a U.S. president? Or is the more responsible approach to recognize that the country is faced with a psychiatric emergency—and news organizations should cover it with urgency, honesty and rigor? Lastly, does Trump’s decline make you more motivated to help get out the vote?
As always, I look forward to reading your observations and the opportunity for the America, America community to learn from each other. Please do be respectful in your remarks. Trolling will not be tolerated.
As we head to the midterms, it’s more important than ever to support the survival of democracy. I remain committed to raising my voice as vividly and fiercely as I can. I hope you’ll consider becoming a paid subscriber for just $50 a year or $5 a month to show your support and enhance your engagement—to share your thoughts in the comments sections and access all content.
I know this is being framed in the media as being about the 1st Amendment, but that just continues to give the deranged sociopath more oxygen. They should all boycott the WH, and make this about the real amendment in question here: the 25th.
I think they should honestly report on a psychiatric emergency.