I take 45s comments Press personally OP/ED

[RoadRunner79]

I don’t think that criticizing the press is the same as limiting free speech. In fact they are very much not the same thing.  Trying to equate criticism to an authoritarian regime seems as bad as Brian’s comparisons above.

Trump has ever had an actual criticism.  He simply decries anything that paints him in an unfavorable light as 'fake news', and has at least on one occasion labeled mainstream media as the enemy of the people (https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/stat...3516632065).  He's also threatened to revoke media access to outlets that don't cover him favorably (https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/stat...4436596736).  During his presidential campaign, he mused about loosening libel laws so he could sue 'fake news' over unfavorable coverage (https://twitter.com/NavigatingTrump/stat...4167017477).  There's also the continued 'fake news' gas lighting campaign itself, which has too many direct links for me to post.

This isn't normal.  It's not what countries not sliding towards authoritarianism do.  And, I mean, let's not be naive here.  His alt-right stewards are even more forceful in their comments about the press, including encouraging people to start gunning down journalists on sight (https://observer.com/2018/06/milo-yianno...ists-down/ ... no, I don't buy his lame 'explanation' of simply trolling, and, regardless, in the current climate, encouraging violence is the last thing anyone should do, jokingly or not).

If none of this bothers you, then, frankly, you have willingly buried your head in the sand.  We're sliding towards fascism.  It's obvious to anyone who bothers to look.

I had to look up Milo Yiannopoulos.   It seems that he is British, so I fail to see the connection or where he could speak in any official capacity for the Trump Administration.   I'm against that type of talk, even if not serious from either side.  I also don't think that we should encourage mobbing and bullying those who have different opinions either (such as Maxine Waters recently).  As to Trump and Fake news;  and wish that someone in his position would be a little more reserved.   His crying fake news at everything, isn't any better than those who are making fake news.   However; I think that it is a large leap from that to what you are talking about with Milo Yiannopoulos.  I can see some cases where a journalist should be able to be held liable for slander or negligence.  But this is not even close to silencing those who simply disagree with you.   And until then I can't agree.   Even when I don't like it or think that the President should be more conservative in his speech, he still has a right to freedom of speech too.