Samantha Bee says Trump is winning his war on the free press, and that's bad for you

Samantha Bee says Trump is winning his war on the press
(Image credit: Screenshot/YouTube/Full Frontal)

"As we celebrate America's birthday this week, let's look at some of the fundamental rights that make our country worth celebrating," Samantha Bee said on Wednesday's Full Frontal. "The First Amendment alone is crammed with essential freedoms: You can speak your mind, you can practice your religion, and as long as it's on a bagel, you can have pizza anytime. But lately the government seems to be having second thoughts about one of our First Amendment rights."

When the demonstrations against racism and police brutality blossomed after the killing of George Floyd, "police were mostly busy beating up protesters, but they still found time to go after journalists who were clearly identified as press, targeting them with arrests, rubber bullets, pepper spray, and good old fashioned beatings," with President Trump egging them on, Bee said. "Look, I know, it's not exactly a revelation that the president is always trying to undermine the media, but that's the problem: We're all so used to it that we act like it's normal. And the more that we ignore anti-press sentiment in America, the more it will spread."

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Peter Weber, The Week US

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.