Silence Is Not Golden

The Daily Beast commissioned a survey of media attitudes and reported yesterday on the findings (link here). One of the most shocking revelations was that 43 percent of GOP members want to give Donald Trump "the authority to close news outlets engaged in bad behavior."

This is just appalling. These people have no respect for the First Amendment. No American politician should ever have the power to shut down any media outlet ever.

Other questions in the survey showed that Republicans are moved by Trump's anti-media rhetoric. A significant majority of GOP members believed that "the news media is the enemy of the American people."

One of the greatest advantages of the American system of government is freedom of speech and a free press. It's a far better standard than in other democracies, including my country of origin, Great Britain, where the Official Secrets Act is used to muzzle media outlets and journalists.

Trump would love to be able to muzzle the media. That's the dream of every autocrat. Unfortunately, far too many people in America, particularly Republicans, would have no problem giving a President the power to do so.

This is why change must come this November and in 2020. The American people need and deserve elected officials who honor and uphold the Constitution.