Mccain slams Trump: Dictators ‘get started by suppressing free press’

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mccain-free-pressBy Eugene Scott

US Sen. John McCain slammed President Donald Trump’s attacks on the media this week by noting dictators “get started by suppressing free press.”

It was a startling observation from a sitting member of Congress against the President of the United States, especially considering McCain is a member of Trump’s party.

“I hate the press,” the Arizona Republican sarcastically told NBC News’ Chuck Todd on “Meet the Press.” “I hate you especially. But the fact is we need you. We need a free press. We must have it. It’s vital.”

But he continued, “If you want to preserve — I’m very serious now — if you want to preserve democracy as we know it, you have to have a free and many times adversarial press,” McCain said in the interview. “And without it, I am afraid that we would lose so much of our individual liberties over time. That’s how dictators get started.”

A clip of the interview, which airs in full on Sunday, was released Saturday afternoon.

McCain has been a frequent critic of the President, particularly in the areas of foreign policy and national security, since before Trump entered the White House.

The 2008 Republican presidential nominee said Americans must pay attention to history to understand the past connections between leaders of oppressive governments and efforts to stifle the media.

“They get started by suppressing free press, in other words, a consolidation of power — when you look at history, the first thing that dictators do is shut down the press,” McCain said. “And I’m not saying that President Trump is trying to be a dictator. I’m just saying we need to learn the lessons of history.”

Trump tweeted Friday that CNN and other major media outlets were “the enemy of the American people.”

 

 

CNN contributor Carl Bernstein, who won the Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on the Watergate scandal, which led to the resignation of President Richard Nixon, called Trump’s words “treacherous.”

“The most dangerous ‘enemy of the people’ is presidential lying — always,” he tweeted. “Attacks on press by @realDonaldTrump more treacherous than Nixon’s.”

CNN

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18 responses to “Mccain slams Trump: Dictators ‘get started by suppressing free press’”

  1. Bravo Senator Mccain. Without free press there is no democracy.
    And as Carl Bernstein said “The most dangerous ‘enemy of the people’ is presidential lying”

    1. Zionist viper.

      1. And here Zionists, fool

      2. I am not surprised to see your comment .
        People who love Assad must love dictators
        Why don’t you go back to where you came from in Syria .
        They will love you over there , unlike here

  2. Dictators get started by removing the press, not criticizing the press. A little over the top Senator.

    1. Donald Trump attacking media is ‘how dictators start’ – John McCain
      Trump is suppressing the press?
      http://news.sky.com/story/donald-trump-attacking-media-is-how-dictators-start-john-mccain-10774120

      1. man-o-war Avatar

        He is trying to discredit the press by calling them liars. He constantly calls them “fake news”. He wants people to just believe anything he says, when 90% of is lies or twisted truths. He hates that the media fact checks him.

        The media has a right to “attack” him 24/7, it would be scarier if the media didn’t call him out when he lies. They should dig up the hidden truth about his shady business practices, and shady connections.

        Are you a Trump supporter? Or just anti-press?

        1. Anti MSM paid warmongers.

  3. CNN Warmongers news!.McCain and Lindsay Graham are a national security threat.

    http://www.timesofisrael.com/trump-should-help-us-kick-russias-ass-senator/#.WKnt5v1VcIk.email

    1. TOI said nothing about the Senators being a security threat, nor did CNN.

      1. “With Soros’s world now “falling apart all around him”, MoFA experts in this report note, he has now begun using President Putin as a bogeyman in order to deflect away from his many crimes—and who is being supported in the US by Republican Senator John McCain (who Soros has funded since 2001), Republican Senator Lindsey Graham (who Soros has long funded) and Republican Ohio State Governor John Kasich (who Soros funded to become president in case Hillary Clinton lost)—all of whom, along with their Soros funded Democratic Party allies, have brought the “Russians are coming” hysteria meme in America to a level not seen since the Cold War”.

        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0PUDmLCkgNc

        1. After a few quick reads Soros funded everyone depending on who’s affiliation one was trying to bolster. LOL, crap like that substantiates the fakes news crusade.

          1. So he used Trump, Russia, Clinton..
            STEVE KROFT: My understanding is that you went out with this protector of yours who swore that you were his adopted godson.

            “GEORGE SOROS: Yes. Yes.

            STEVE KROFT: Went out, in fact, and helped in the confiscation of property from your fellow Jews, friends and neighbors.

            GEORGE SOROS: Yes. That’s right. Yes.

            STEVE KROFT: I mean, that sounds like an experience that would send lots of people to the psychiatric couch for many, many, years. Was it difficult?

            GEORGE SOROS: No, not at all. Not at all, I rather enjoyed it.

            STEVE KROFT: No feelings of guilt?

            GEORGE SOROS: No, only feelings of absolute power.”

          2. It’s ironic that Soros is considered a left wing funder. So if I to believe you and the idea that Soros also funded the Republicans then Soros must have a problem with decisions.

          3. A cold blooded serial killer has no problems with decisions..if you watched the video.

  4. John McCain says what many didn’t dare to pronounce about ‘President’ Donald Trump.

    All dictators suppressed free press, https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/bcb024f9a7acfbd1f8c72b0dc7451a98151dbf4a62f51367c81aab5fe38df354.jpg Erdogan and Putin are very effective in suppressing the free press.

  5. ‘Trump To Declare George Soros ‘National Security Threat’
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zdo8ESlZxAw

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