Donald J. Trump has made yet another — can you believe it? — dubious and dangerous proposal that threatens to undermine one of the foundations of our free society.
The Republican presidential nominee says he will seek to weaken the media “power structure” if he’s elected president of the United States.
Ponder that for a moment. That’s all it’ll take.
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution says — among other things — that government must not interfere in the functions of a “free press.”
I interpret that to mean that the government should not exert any influence on how the media conduct themselves. Trump, though, in his on-going — and ridiculous — campaign asserting a widespread media conspiracy to prevent his election, is declaring his intention to “weaken” the media’s influence.
I do believe that Trump’s notion would violate the Constitution.
Government shouldn’t throw its massive weight around to control the media’s message, which sounds for all the world to me as being Trump’s intent. He vows to block media companies from merging with other media companies, complaining about the concentration of power.
Is that his real concern, or is he seeking to use the federal government’s immense power to weaken the media — and to exert control over the message?