Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) is warning that Trump is marching the nation towards authoritarianism after White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus admitted that they have looked into changing the Constitution to eliminate the free press.
After Priebus admitted that the Trump administration has looked into eliminating press freedom:
https://youtu.be/60FYn1EPMmo
Rep. Lieu tweeted this response:
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This is marching America down the road to authoritarianism. Reince Preibus statements on stifling the press should alarm even Republicans. https://t.co/p7yTZaFCyq
— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) April 30, 2017
Transcript of the exchange between Priebus and ABC’s Jon Karl:
KARL: So I want to move on, before you go, we have a segment coming up with Ann Coulter and Robert Reich. Of course, there’s a big controversy at Berkeley over freedom of speech.
I want to ask you about two things the president has said on related issues.
First of all, there was what he said about opening up the libel laws, Tweeting, “The failing “New York Times” has disgraced the media world, gotten me wrong for two solid years. Change the libel laws.”
That would require, as I understand it, a constitutional amendment.
Is he really going to pursue that?
Is that something he wants to pursue?
PRIEBUS: I think it’s something that we’ve looked at and how that gets executed or whether that goes anywhere is a different story. But when you have articles out there that have no basis or fact and we’re sitting here on 24-7 cable companies writing stories about constant contacts with Russia and all these other matters that (INAUDIBLE)…
The fact that any president or White House would dare to examine the possibility of eliminating press freedom should be alarming to every single American.
Donald Trump idolizes dictators and wants to destroy democracy and replace it with something more closely resembling an authoritarian cult of personality.
Trump’s attack on democracy is very real, and it is up to the American people to stop him.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
