A direct attack on the First Amendment
This weekend, while many of us were preparing for Yom Kippur, Trump banned CNN, MS Now, and Politico from the White House grounds in a direct attack on the First Amendment. This wasn’t just another of Trump’s late-night social media rants; it is a move straight out of the authoritarian playbook, and we must fight back.
Trump is attacking freedom of the press because he can’t stop losing, and he knows another loss in the midterms is right around the corner.
The Supreme Court just stopped Trump’s attempt to restrict mail-in voting. The Iran War is a complete disaster. Trump’s failed policies have increased the cost of living. Republicans in Congress have done nothing to stop him – they even canceled votes in the House until after the midterms to avoid holding Trump accountable. With most Americans rejecting this authoritarian agenda, Trump is trying to exert power in any way he can, but we refuse to be silenced or back down.
In response to Trump’s unconstitutional attempt to limit freedom of the press, major broadcast and cable networks, including ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, and Fox News, have collectively stopped covering Trump on TV. They are proving that we still have levers of power we can wield against Trump’s agenda, and now it’s your turn.
We have to demand accountability and defend the First Amendment and our Constitution.
Trump’s response to this media boycott is to try to reorient the public to watch “Trump TV.” It’s a poor attempt at creating state-run media, another tool authoritarian leaders rely on. We refuse to normalize this, and we will take action today and through Election Day to defend our country, our First Amendment rights, and our freedoms.
In solidarity,
Sam Crystal
COO and Chief of Staff, Jewish Democratic Council of America