George Graham

Squelching the Media

 

Trump is threatening to revoke the media credentials of news organizations that run negative stories about him. But I wonder whether he can legally do that.

The freedom of the press is uniquely guaranteed in the US Constitution, and I don’t see how the press can be free to do its job if a president can decide who gets to cover what.

Surely, news organizations can seek relief in the courts if Trump cracks down on their credentials?

And would Congress meekly tolerate  this kind of despotic behavior?

This is not some banana republic; this is the USA, “the world’s leading democracy.”

Trump is just the executive who administers the laws passed by the people’s representatives in Congress. He is not a dictator.

It’s time someone pointed this out to him.

He is not above the law as he and his creepy mouthpiece, Rudy Giuliani, seem to believe. The Constitution specifies that Americans must be treated “equally” under the laws of the land. It provides no exemption for the president – or anybody else.

I believe this will be tested soon as evidence of Trump’s lawless behavior continues to emerge. If he does not resign, as Nixon did, even this craven Congress will be obliged to initiate impeachment proceedings. And after he is impeached, he will probably face criminal charges.

Will Pence pardon him, as Gerald Ford pardoned Nixon?

Probably. But the political price will be severe. Ford was sent packing by the voters – remember?

And Trump may still face state charges, which Pence will not be able to pardon. It’s a tangled web that Trump has woven. And he will one day be inextricably ensnared by it

Pray that it will be sooner rather than later. The world is in danger as long as he remains commander in chief of the mighty US military and its nuclear arsenal.

Trump’s threat

About the author

gwgraeme

I am a Jamaican-born writer who has lived and worked in Canada and the United States. I live in Lakeland, Florida with my wife, Sandra, our three cats and two dogs. I like to play golf and enjoy our garden, even though it's a lot of work. Since retiring from newspaper reporting I've written a few books. I also write a monthly column for Jamaicans.com