October 24, 2016

Even CNN's generally restrained Wolf Blitzer has finally had a belly full of the Trump campaign's attack on freedom of the press:

WOLF BLITZER (HOST): There's a lot of concern, especially those of us in the news media,journalists, that he's trying to undermine the First Amendment freedom of speech by going after the news media. Raising all kinds of sordid questions about the news media. You've dealt with the news media in your career for a long time. Do you feel comfortable with the way he treats the news media right now, suggesting he wants to have easier availability for government, for presidents, if you will, to go ahead and sue journalists and sue news organizations?

JASON MILLER: Wolf, with all due respect, I think that's a rather one-sided interpretation of what Mr. Trump is saying. The reason why people love Mr. Trump is because he's willing to fight back. He's willing to stand up against this rigged system, he's willing to make his voice heard, and he's not going to be a wallflower that's going to be pushed around, and so when we see the incredible -- I mean even your very own respected Jake Tapper, who I think is one of the best in the business, is someone who has called out media bias. Talking about the fact that there is an incredible amount more time spent on attacks against Mr. Trump, then against Secretary Clinton. And the reality is that it is biased, Wolf. And there is no way objectively --

BLITZER: Look there is no doubt there is a bias out there. That conservatives are biased, liberals are biased. No doubt about that. The whole point though is you don't go after the First Amendment and freedom of the press. That is sacred, as you know, as I know, our viewers know. You don't try to undermine that and say we're going to change the rules of the game because free press is so critical to our country. I assume you agree with me on that.

MILLER: As does Mr. Trump. The First Amendment is very important --

BLITZER: Well he attacks the press almost every rally. He points to the journalists who are trying to do their jobs and he says to the crowd, "Look at them." And then he uses some really awful words to describe reporters who are working really hard, Jason, just to get the news out there. They're doing their job. You know them, I know them, and for him to attack the news media like that is not acceptable.

It's nice that Blitzer has finally seen the light with how dangerous this rhetoric from Trump has become. It's sad that it took things getting this out of hand to finally bring him around.

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