Senator Gary Peters says recent Trump administration actions are a threat to the constitutionally-protected free speech rights of Americans.
The Michigan Democrat addressed that issue during a Senate committee meeting this week, saying “government censorship is wrong. Full stop,” and listing examples of what he called “unprecedented efforts to wield government power as a tool to suppress free speech and stifle legitimate criticism and legitimate political discourse.”
Those examples included denying media credentials and access to news outlets over “coverage that didn’t flatter the president;” suing media outlets “who published content that the president doesn’t agree with; and ABC’s suspension of late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel after the chair of the Federal Communications Commission threatened to revoke the network’s broadcast license.
“Let's be clear,” Peters said. “These acts are unprecedented, unprecedented in American history, and they rightfully raise alarms for every American.
“I certainly hope that the chairman of this committee, and members of the committee, will devote their efforts to examining these abuses that I mentioned, regardless of who commits them. Because we must all stand up for First Amendment rights in the face of unprecedented overreach.”
Other Democratic politicians have already denounced those actions, with some introducing legislation that outlines and affirms protected forms of speech. And even Texas Republican Senate Ted Cruz has called the FCC threat “dangerous as hell.”
But President Trump has shown no sign of retreating. Last month, he called critical television coverage of him “illegal,” and said this week that he “took the freedom of speech away” when it comes to burning the American flag, though the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that's a form of protected speech.
