Authoritarianism
Trump: It’s Not ‘Free Speech’ When Reporters ‘Write Bad’ Stories About ‘Something Good’ I Did
President Donald Trump on Thursday declared that “free speech” does not include “bad” stories written about “something good” he’s done.
Speaking at a White House-hosted “social media summit” attended by hundreds of Trump supporters and right-wing trolls, Trump railed against the “mainstream media.”
“And we don’t want to stifle anything, we certainly don’t want to stifle free speech,” Trump said. “But that’s no longer free speech. See I don’t think that the mainstream media is free speech either, because it’s so crooked, it’s so dishonest.”
“So to me, free speech is not when you see something good and then you purposely write bad, to me that’s very dangerous speech, and you become angry at it,” said Trump. “But that’s not free speech.”
He continued, talking about CNN and the use of the phrase “fake news” in the mainstream press. “The worst fakers of all” are using the phrase, he said. “They’ve turned it around!”
“We’re just not going to allow it to happen like this,” Trump said. “We’re not going to be silenced.”
“…free speech is not when you see something good and then you purposely write something bad … that's very dangerous speech."
That’s actually the definition of free speech.
Video h/t @atrupar
— Shannon Watts (@shannonrwatts) July 12, 2019
The creepiest comment came when Trump said that any mainstream media that he thinks are biased against him are not protected by free speech.
— JJ MacNab (@jjmacnab) July 11, 2019
Trump, when talking about free speech, seems to be under the wrongful assumption that criticising the President is not free speech. https://t.co/OVuS2m62zP
— Morten Øverbye (@morten) July 11, 2019
This is just a blatantly false notion of what is or isn’t “free speech” and that it was said at an event purportedly in opposition to social media censorship is deeply embarrassing. https://t.co/r91qlPF8Rg
— Sarah McLaughlin (@sarahemclaugh) July 11, 2019
THis is why a poll found nearly 50% of Trumpers would support Trump if he closed down media outlets for being unfair to Trump: Trump Says It's Not Free Speech to 'Write Bad' About 'Something Good': That's 'Dangerous Speech' https://t.co/gOwTtWlLbH via @mediaite
— (((DeanObeidallah))) (@DeanObeidallah) July 11, 2019
Only Trumpies have free speech. That should frighten all! "To me free speech is not when you see something good and then you purposely write bad,” he insisted. “To me that’s very dangerous speech, and you become angry at it. But that’s not free speech.” https://t.co/9liIeEkQnm
— Kerry Drury (@Lisianthus) July 12, 2019
