'Authoritarian' Trump will transform media into 'American version of RT,' says US TV host
MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow has cautioned that Donald Trump will attempt to suppress the free press in the United States. Read Full Article at RT.com.
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**Rachel Maddow Warns of Threats to Press Freedom Under President-elect Trump**
MSNBC host Rachel Maddow has expressed concerns that President-elect Donald Trump will seek to undermine press freedom in the United States upon his return to the White House. During Thursday's episode of ‘The Rachel Maddow Show,’ the Democrat-leaning host and vocal Trump opponent characterized the incoming president as an “authoritarian” who poses a risk to democracy in the country.
Maddow suggested that Trump and his administration would aim to transform the media, which she referred to as “the fourth estate” and a “pillar of our democracy,” into a form of “state TV.” She cautioned that the US media might evolve into “an American-accented version of RT.”
“These guys… will inevitably start picking off individual journalists, publishers and news organizations to try ultimately to turn us all into some American-accented version of RT,” she stated, noting that this outlet serves as “a reason actions of the Russian Duma never make news.” She urged the American public to “actively resist” the new administration’s potential assaults on the media.
Maddow’s comments have ignited discussions among journalists regarding the press's role in the US. Some support her call to resist Trump, while others contend that the focus should remain on straightforward reporting.
President Trump has a history of disparaging mainstream US news organizations, accusing them of libel and propagating fake news, often branding reporters as “bloodsuckers” and referring to the media as the “enemy of the people.” Recently, he garnered attention for suggesting he wouldn’t object if someone “shot through the fake news.” Additionally, he has initiated a $10 billion lawsuit against CBS News, claiming that an interview with his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris, was improperly edited to disadvantage him.
Maddow’s remarks regarding RT align with the outgoing US administration's position on the Russian media outlet. The Biden administration has imposed various restrictions on Russian media, particularly targeting RT, which was sanctioned earlier this year for allegedly “functioning as a de facto arm of [Russian] intelligence.”
In response to the treatment of Russian journalists in the US, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Washington of undermining its own constitution by suppressing “information that is inconvenient for them.”
Jessica Kline contributed to this report for TROIB News
MSNBC host Rachel Maddow has expressed concerns that President-elect Donald Trump will seek to undermine press freedom in the United States upon his return to the White House. During Thursday's episode of ‘The Rachel Maddow Show,’ the Democrat-leaning host and vocal Trump opponent characterized the incoming president as an “authoritarian” who poses a risk to democracy in the country.
Maddow suggested that Trump and his administration would aim to transform the media, which she referred to as “the fourth estate” and a “pillar of our democracy,” into a form of “state TV.” She cautioned that the US media might evolve into “an American-accented version of RT.”
“These guys… will inevitably start picking off individual journalists, publishers and news organizations to try ultimately to turn us all into some American-accented version of RT,” she stated, noting that this outlet serves as “a reason actions of the Russian Duma never make news.” She urged the American public to “actively resist” the new administration’s potential assaults on the media.
Maddow’s comments have ignited discussions among journalists regarding the press's role in the US. Some support her call to resist Trump, while others contend that the focus should remain on straightforward reporting.
President Trump has a history of disparaging mainstream US news organizations, accusing them of libel and propagating fake news, often branding reporters as “bloodsuckers” and referring to the media as the “enemy of the people.” Recently, he garnered attention for suggesting he wouldn’t object if someone “shot through the fake news.” Additionally, he has initiated a $10 billion lawsuit against CBS News, claiming that an interview with his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris, was improperly edited to disadvantage him.
Maddow’s remarks regarding RT align with the outgoing US administration's position on the Russian media outlet. The Biden administration has imposed various restrictions on Russian media, particularly targeting RT, which was sanctioned earlier this year for allegedly “functioning as a de facto arm of [Russian] intelligence.”
In response to the treatment of Russian journalists in the US, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova accused Washington of undermining its own constitution by suppressing “information that is inconvenient for them.”
Jessica Kline contributed to this report for TROIB News
