***. “To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
[ Theodore Roosevelt; Republican; 26th U.S. President ]
This post presents excerpts from “A Sweeping Effort To Stifle Free Speech”. [ Jim Rutenberg, Maggie Haberman; New York Times; 9/13/26 ]. Read the entire article for full appreciation of the gravity of this threat to American democracy, please.
5] “Mr. Trump has been candid about his aim: to inflict pain, even if it was fleeting. After bringing a failed libel suit against a former Times reporter Timothy L. O’Brien, whose book Mr. Trump “TrumpNation”. estimated Mr. Trump to be worth far less than he claimed, the president gloated about forcing the publisher to spend money. “I did it to make his life miserable, which I’m happy about,” he said.” [NOTE: run this around in your mind]
6]. “Mr. Trump’s team is unapologetic about its goal of achieving firmer control of the national information environment. – what Mr. Cheung, the communications director, has dubbed in a social media post, “Full Spectrum Dominance.”
2]. “Driven by personal pique, fury over leaks and a determination to shape the political narrative to his advantage, Mr. Trump is deploying the might of the federal government and filing lawsuits. – targeting not just journalists and liberal critics, but also comedians and talk show hosts, and the corporate entities behind them……… Free speech advocates say the president’s intent is apparent: to punish, intimidate and silence dissenters….”There’s not a week that goes by where they’re not taking a new step to curtail press freedom in the country…..”
***. “For if men are to be precluded from offering their Sentiments on a matter, which may involve the most serious and alarming consequences, that can invite the consideration of Mankind, reason is of no use to us; the freedom of Speech may be taken away, and, dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep, to the Slaughter.”
[ George Washington; 3/15/1783 ]
3] “Reporters Without Borders maintains an index that tracks press freedom in 180 countries, clocking governmental threats, subpoenas and the vindictive use of regulations against journalists. The United States now ranks at its lowest since the organization started the index in 2002. – 64th, just above Panama and just below Botswana. The trend is the same at similar indexes kept by the Freedom of the Press Foundation and the V-Dem Institute of Sweden.”
10] “Government efforts to subpoena journalists and chill their reporting through threats are at the highest level since trhe foundation started tracking incidents in 2017.”
11] “..as a private citizen, Mr. Trump has filed lawsuits against a wide range of targets including The Guardian newspaper, the journalist Bob Woodward and the Pulitzer Prize board. – legal battles often financed by his donor-funded political action committee.”
***. “The first thing dictators do is finish free press to establish censorship. There is no doubt that a free press is the first enemy of dictatorship.” [ Fidel Castro ]
12] “Many of the moves have also drawn stern rebukes from judges….Judge William b. Porter chastised the government….a judge worried that allowing the suit to proceed could have “a massive, chilling effect.” After a judge harshly questioned government lawyers…..Judge Paul Friedman..”Those who drafted the First Amendment believed that the nation’s security requires a free press and an informed people and that such security is endangered by governmental suppression of political speech.”
4] “Now the administration is breaking new ground in stifling dissent with personal lawsuits and novel uses of executive power…with implications that extend far beyond Mr. trump’s presidency. “We live in a different world under this administration because the threats are so grave…”
1] “The Justice Department has sent F.B.I. agents to reporter’s homes to serve subpoenas…The Pentagon has fired the editor and publisher of its traditionally independent newspaper….Regulatory agencies are using their powers to pressure media over their content……]
*** “We must not confuse dissent with disloyalty. When the loyal opposition dies, I think the soul of America dies with it.” [ Edward R. Murrow ]
7] 16 paragraphs are devoted to the actions of Brendan Carr, chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, Republican state attorneys general and their persecution and prosecution of media companies they didn’t like. They used ‘YOUR’ government’s power of investigation and filing charges to harass, intimidate, and silence ANY media that dared oppose the Trump DICTATORSHIP.
8]. “..[Brendan Carr]..has bent the F.C.C. to the president’s will..”
9] 12 paragraphs are devoted to discussing “Mr. Trump’s animus against ABC..” The Trump DICTATORSHIP uses government powers to conduct investigations, follow “equal time rules,” started “an early review of the federal licenses that ABC stations need to operate” [ NEVER done before ], demands for documents, etc.
*** “Don’t you see that the whole aim of Newspeak is to narrow the range of thought? In the end we shall make thougthcrime literally impossible because there will be no words in which to express it.” [ George Orwell: “1984” ]
For perspective – The Trump DICTATORSHIP escalates its war on TRUTH… Presented below are excerpts from “White House Enforces Ban On 3 Outlets”. [ Michael Grynbaum, Zolan Kanno-Youngs, Benjamin Mullin; New York Times; 9/20/26]:
1]. “Journalists from CNN, MSNOW and Politico had their badges confiscated…a stark escalation in President Trump’s ever-expanding battles with news media..”
2] “First amendment experts condemned Mr. Trump’s ban as unconstitutional and said it was unlikely to survive a court challenge.”
3]. “Legal experts said that Mr. Trump’s news media ban was unlikely to survive a court challenge, because the president explicitly connected his decision to ban CNN, Politico and MSNOW to the content of their reporting. That’s “textbook viewpoint discrimination”…”
***. “Truth is the most important thing. That’s why we should ration it.” [ Lenin ]
