"Trump now forces the debate to center on our First Amendment"

 

Dictators always fear comedians. (It’s no coincidence Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was a comic before he was a political leader.) Autocrats, notoriously thin-skinned, cannot stand to be mocked. They demand obedience. When Donald Trump, a ridiculously thin-skinned despot, and his FCC lackey Brendan Carr pressured ABC to take Jimmy Kimmel off the air for commenting on MAGA Republicans’ desperation to assign baseless blame for the Charlie Kirk murder, we saw the clearest evidence yet that the First Amendment is in peril.

ABC, which already caved to Trump in delivering a $15M tribute in the form of a “settlement” of a frivolous case, should learn that you can never appease a dictator. Capitulation is just an invitation to further extortion.

Ironically, Trump now forces the debate to center on our First Amendment. Regardless of party, we can agree that government censorship is un-American. Hollywood unions and guilds can take collective action against Disney/ABC for folding; Americans can call local TV affiliate stations to demand ABC put Kimmel back on; Disney shareholders can reject quisling management; and House and Senate Democratic leaders can do something, such as demand Carr to be fired/step down. (They can also vow to impeach him if he is still around when they win back the House.)

Even before the Kimmel suspension, Trump, JD Vance, and the entire Trump regime launched a cynical, dangerous attack on their political enemies based on the lie that “the Left” was responsible for Kirk’s murder. So far, we have no concrete evidence of the killer’s political outlook (having a trans roommate does not make one a “leftist;” just as being raised by Republican parents does not make one a MAGA extremist)—or if the killer possesses a coherent political ideology.

Trump nevertheless declared “ANTIFA” (an amorphous, decentralized grab-bag of characters) a domestic terror organization, a move that opens the door to pursuing scores of groups he (baselessly) alleges have ties to “ANTIFA.” By Thursday he was brazenly declaring that networks that criticize him should lose their licenses. This is fascism in plain sight.

As Trump fully embraced his twisted self-image as a dictator, several Democrats stepped forward: Majority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y), Democratic Sens Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) and Tina Smith (D-Minn.), and Reps. Jason Crow (D-Col.), Greg Casar (D-Tex), and Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.) announced introduction of the No Political Enemies (NOPE) Act, “To protect individuals and organizations, including non-profits, faith groups, media outlets, and educational institutions, from politically motivated targeting and prosecution by the federal government.” We thank them for governing.

The most robust leadership in the democracy fight is coming from governors, recently from Illinois Gov. JD Pritzker (on military occupation of cities) and California Gov. Gavin Newsom (on Trump’s effort to rig the 2026 elections through re-redistricting that diminishes primarily Black and Hispanic voting power). This week, another articulate Democratic governor stepped up, this time to address political violence.

With a solid record on public safety and personal experience with political violence, Pennsylvania’s Gov. Josh Shapiro was ideally suited to the task. Last year, when sitting at the Passover Seder table with his family, a man threw two Molotov cocktails into Shapiro’s home, igniting a fire. (Trump conveniently ignores the incident when reciting recent acts of political violence). His state was also the location of the worst mass murder of Jews in America (by a White nationalist) and of the first attempted assassination of Trump. Shapiro knows violence does not come from one ideological group.

He delivered remarks this week at the Eradicate Hate Global Summit. “I will not be deterred in my work for you, and I will not be silenced,” he declared. He then explained why violence is antithetical to democracy: “It tears at the fabric of American society, and the fundamental principles this nation was founded upon... A nation where civil disagreement should be welcome, because that discourse can lead to progress.”

He also rejected selective outrage. “Unfortunately, some—from the dark corners of the internet all the way to the Oval Office—want to cherry pick which instances of political violence they want to condemn,” he said, pointing out that such crass opportunism makes healing impossible.

Shapiro then made the critical point: “Censorship—using the long arm of government to silence people, businesses, and nonprofits and restrict their right to free speech—will not solve this problem.” He declared, “Prosecuting constitutionally protected speech will only erode our freedoms and deepen mistrust. That is un-American.”

The governor also argued that to stop violence, we need to fund law enforcement and help young people cope with violent extremism online that sucks them into to a dark world of nihilism, destruction, and performative violence. He pointed to his wife’s work on a “digital literacy toolkit that teachers and parents can use to help our kids navigate online.”

Refusing to adopt the legacy media framing reducing everything to right vs. left combat, Shapiro seized the opportunity to educate Americans about the prevalence of alienation and hopelessness, which leads to loss of confidence in institutions. Too many people, especially children and young adults, are left vulnerable to violent messengers who play on their profound loneliness.

“Frustrated by a lack of progress and consumed by a feeling of hopelessness, they find refuge, often in the dark corners of the internet where their righteous frustration is taken advantage of and used to foment hate,” Shapiro said. Government therefore must retain people’s trust and offer techniques to prevent violent radicalization. Moreover, all Americans must “see our common humanity” and “reject the forces that are trying to pull us apart.”

At a press conference, Shapiro insisted, according to the New York Times, “We need to be universal in our condemnation,” adding that Trump has once again failed the “leadership test, failed the morality test, and it makes us all less safe.”

The autocrat’s excuse for crushing civil liberties amounts to a false choice between free speech and public safety. The overwhelming number of elected Republicans have refused to denounce Trump’s crusade of vengeance and censorship. We find no better illustration of the depths to which the MAGA Republican Party has sunk.

Shapiro provided a model for addressing the issue: Condemn all violence. Denounce selective outrage. Zealously defend the First Amendment and call out censors. Give young people tools to guard against online radicalization. Also, show Americans that compassionate, sensible, and effective government can improve their lives.

We applaud Shapiro’s undaunted pursuit of sanity, decency, public safety, and First Amendment rights. These are times that demand fortitude from our leaders. All those exhibiting it deserve our acknowledgement, our gratitude, and our praise.

Jennifer Rubin, The Contrarian is reader-supported. To join us in the battle to preserve our free speech and our democracy, please add your voice to our community by becoming a free or paid subscriber.

First Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.