Trump’s Call For Punishing MSNBC Raises Eyebrows Among Legal Scholars

Last week, former President Donald Trump posted to Truth Social, “MSNBC (MSDNC) uses FREE government approved airwaves, and yet it is nothing but a 24-hour hit job on Donald J. Trump and the Republican Party for purposes of ELECTION INTERFERENCE.”

He continued, “Brian Roberts, its Chairman and CEO, is a slimeball who has been able to get away with these constant attacks for years. It is the world’s biggest political contribution to the Radical Left Democrats who, by the way, are destroying our Country. Our so-called ‘government’ should come down hard on them and make them pay for their illegal political activity. Much more to come, watch!”

Journalists and pundits have swiftly condemned his remarks and have cautioned the former president’s clear commitment to the restriction of press freedoms and his retaliation against those who voice dissent.

Atlantic writer Brian Klaas wrote, “Trump continues his deranged authoritarian outbursts, which, due to the ‘banality of crazy,’ will garner virtually no mainstream coverage. Americans deserve to know this stuff. Trump’s authoritarianism is the most important political story in America—and nothing else is close.”

David Axelrod, a former advisor to former President Barack Obama, said, “I think we owe it to Trump to take his words seriously. He would use the power of the government to punish media outlets who do critical reporting about him. Where are those who speak reflexively about fidelity to the Constitution but apparently have not read it?”

Legal analyst Bradley Moss said that Trump’s argument did not make sense and noted, “MSNBC doesn’t use airwaves. NBC local affiliates might, but MSNBC is a cable network.”

Gretchen Carlson, a former Fox News anchor, emphasized the importance of taking Trump’s threats seriously and urged journalists to refrain from covering him as a typical candidate.

Trump recently filed suit against the company that produced the Steele Dossier, which alleged that Russia had compromising video of Trump with call girls.