Alexander Acosta for Labor Secretary, this exchange took place:
[ A ] reporter asked Trump whether he was concerned that, by labelling stories he didn’ t like as“ fake news,” he was undermining public faith in the First Amendment. He threw the question back.“ The press— the public doesn’ t believe you people anymore,” he said.“ Now, maybe I had something to do with that. I don’ t know. But they don’ t believe you.” 10
This administration is using the perceived unreliability of the news media-- an unreliability that it is substantially overblowing--to undermine freedom of the press. Why protect the freedom of people to express themselves if they’ re just gonna lie, right?
Of course, it’ s not all apocalyptic from here. The Daily Sentinel in Colorado is threatening to sue Senator Ray Scott for defamation because he called one of their opinion columns criticizing him“ fake news.” If the paper went through with it, the court would then be responsible for defining and regulating the term“ fake news,” so that politicians can’ t just throw it out whenever they dislike an article. That’ s the hope, anyway.
If that doesn’ t work, like I said, welcome to the club of people living under cartoonishly evil dictators.
Sincerely, The Egyptian People.