Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., said Sunday that the United States is in “one of the most dangerous moments America has ever faced” with President Donald Trump using the federal government to try to punish his political opponents.
“The United States is now employing the full power of the federal government, the FCC, the Department of Justice, in order to punish, lock up, take down off the air all of his political enemies,” Murphy told ABC News’ “This Week” co-anchor Jonathan Karl. “As you know, this is what happens in Iran. This is what happens in Cuba. This is what happens in China, in deeply repressive states in which if you have the courage to stand up and speak truth to power, you are silenced. I mean, there is no more fundamental right in America than the right to protest your government.”
Murphy said Trump’s threats to have the Federal Communications Commission reexamine licenses for television broadcasters that repeatedly criticize him is an effort to use the government to silence critics.
“Listen, every single president, every single politician has drawn issue with something that a media figure has said and may use the power of persuasion to try to get them to change what they say. That’s very different than using the power of government in a coercive way that’s actually illegal. The Supreme Court has said, no, you cannot use the regulatory power of the government to say to a broadcaster, if you don’t say what I want you to say, as the president, United States, there will be a official legal consequence that’s illegal”
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
