Patrick’s Politics: Trump’s government censorship must be stopped

If you think about the most enduring concept of the United States, the idea that has stuck with our country for centuries, it is likely free speech. Outlined in the First Amendment to the Constitution, free speech is perhaps our most important ideal, and it is crucial to democracy. In recent years, Republicans have made extensive appeals to free speech in their fight against “cancel culture,” but many have changed their tune under the second Trump administration. Now, the weight of the government is pressing down on free speech — and this must be recognized before we are crushed.  

ABC’s suspension of Jimmy Kimmel, a popular late night talk show host, on Sept. 17 is the latest case to pit Trump’s government against free speech. Kimmel was pulled from the airwaves after making comments about the fatal shooting of rightwing political commentator Charlie Kirk — more specifically, he criticized “the MAGA gang desperately trying to characterize this kid who murdered Charlie Kirk as anything other than one of them.” In normal times, these remarks would have gone under the radar — just another opinion fully protected by free speech — and he would be free to continue his show.  

Kirk’s death, however, has provided an excuse for Trump to change the calculus. As I wrote in last week’s edition of the column, the Trump administration and other Republicans quickly promised to go after the left. After Kimmel’s comments, Federal Communications Commission chair and Trump appointee Brendan Carr called for his suspension, ominously saying that “we can do this the easy way or the hard way.” ABC suspended Kimmel hours later. 

The implications of this timeline are clear. Instead of Kimmel’s firing merely being a company decision, the federal government put deliberate pressure on ABC.  Whether you agree with Kimmel’s stance or not, this is a direct muzzling of free speech, an assault on the spirit of the First Amendment, and a clear episode of government censorship. Even some Republicans were critical of Carr’s threats, including Sen. Ted Cruz, who compared them to the words of a “mafioso” in the movie Goodfellas.  

Yet the Republicans who pushed back against this attack on free speech were the minority, and they are behind Trump’s curve. On Sept. 19, Trump claimed that criticism of his  administration was “no longer free speech,” calling it “really illegal.” He then suggested the FCC could revoke the licenses of networks that run afoul of his government.  

Whether Trump acts immediately on this stance is immaterial. No president before Trump has come close to his level of disregard for the Constitution — when he calls criticism illegal, he means it.

The conversation around free speech may die down a little, especially after Kimmel was reinstated last Tuesday. But the crucial concern is that open season has just been declared on the First Amendment. How can a democratic country, one built upon the foundation of freedom to express opinions, operate when the government is hostile to taking away that freedom?  

The erosion of free speech goes far beyond Kimmel, and it is a phenomenon that cannot be swept under the rug. Since the start of the second Trump administration, the definition of free speech on the right has changed, and Kirk’s murder has only accelerated the process. Republican Sen. Cynthia Lummis of Washington, said in an interview that “Under normal times, in normal circumstances, I tend to think that the First Amendment should always be sort of the ultimate right,” before saying she doesn’t think that way “anymore.” Lummis’ statement nicely sums up that, for all intents and purposes, many Republicans flat out don’t care about protecting the First Amendment. 

Where is America going to draw the line on free speech? How much will our foremost democratic norm be cut down and whittled away before we recognize the threat? The stage has been set for a test of our values, and whether we will emerge with our freedoms intact is an open question.  

The good news is that we have the power to slow and stop the onslaught on free speech. America has a long and rich history of standing up to tyranny and injustice. Kimmel’s reinstatement came after a concerted effort to boycott Disney, ABC’s parent corporation, showing that the ability of consumers to exercise their opinions is alive and well.  

We must always be vigilant and protective of our rights. The safeguards against authoritarianism have been weakened. There will no doubt be further attempts by the Trump administration to crack down on free speech, and the slow death of freedom is no better than a rapid one. America must remember that the First Amendment is first for a reason; if its words lose meaning, the founding principles of our democracy will be ruined.