Sen. John McCain calls on Trump to stop attacking journalists, press
Jan 16, 2018, 8:14 PM | Updated: Mar 1, 2018, 3:26 pm
Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., who returned to Capitol Hill after being diagnosed with an aggressive type of brain cancer, leaves the chamber as the Republican-run Senate rejected a GOP proposal to scuttle President Barack Obama's health care law on July 26, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
(AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
PHOENIX — One day before President Donald Trump was expected to hold his “fake news awards,” U.S. Sen. John McCain wrote an op-ed in The Washington Post asking the president to stop attacking the press.
The Arizona senator started the post by comparing Trump to the modern face of the Republican Party: Former President Ronald Reagan.
“After leaving office, President Ronald Reagan created the Ronald Reagan Freedom Award to recognize individuals who have fought to spread liberty worldwide,” he said.
“Reagan recognized that as leader of the free world, his words carried enormous weight, and he used it to inspire the unprecedented spread of democracy around the world.
“President Trump does not seem to understand that his rhetoric and actions reverberate in the same way. He has threatened to continue his attempt to discredit the free press by bestowing ‘fake news awards’ upon reporters and news outlets whose coverage he disagrees with,” McCain continued.
McCain went on to say that the president’s continued attacks on the press “are being closely watched by foreign leaders who are already using his words as cover as they silence and shutter one of the key pillars of democracy.”
Also included in the article was a statistic from the Committee to Protect Journalists, which said 262 journalists were imprisoned for their work in 2017.
“Yet even more troubling is the growing number of attacks on press freedom in traditionally free and open societies, where censorship in the name of national security is becoming more common.”
McCain said the administration’s attitude toward attacks on journalists — both verbal and physical — have been “inconsistent at best and hypocritical at worst.”
The senior senator continued, saying Trump’s “unrelenting attacks” on journalists and news outlets has “provided cover for repressive regimes to follow suit.”
“The phrase ‘fake news’ — granted legitimacy by an American president — is being used by autocrats to silence reporters, undermine political opponents, stave off media scrutiny and mislead citizens,” he continued.
In the end, McCain called on Congress to “commit to protecting independent journalism, preserving an open and free media environment and defending the fundamental right to freedom of opinion and expression.”
He said lawmakers can do that by encouraging partners and allies to review their laws and practices, authorize foreign assistance to support independent media outlets and foster conditions “in which freedom of expression and information can thrive.”
“Ultimately, freedom of information is critical for a democracy to succeed. We become better, stronger and more effective societies by having an informed and engaged public that pushes policymakers to best represent not only our interests but also our values,” McCain wrote.
“Journalists play a major role in the promotion and protection of democracy and our unalienable rights, and they must be able to do their jobs freely. Only truth and transparency can guarantee freedom.”
But McCain was not alone in his battle with the president over press freedom: U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) was set to give a speech on Wednesday where he would compare Trump’s use of “enemy of the people” when referring to the press to Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin‘s way of dealing with the media.
