Shortly after NBC News reported Secretary of State Rex Tillerson called Donald Trump a “moron” for requesting to expand the country’s nuclear arsenal tenfold, the erratic president took to Twitter to call the story “fake news” and even threaten to revoke network’s FCC “license.”
The president’s justification for such an outrageous threat was his claim that NBC’s recent reporting is “bad for country!”
“With all of the Fake News coming out of NBC and the Networks, at what point is it appropriate to challenge their License? Bad for country!” Trump tweeted Wednesday.
The president’s outburst attacking NBC quickly backfired —spectacurlarly. Not only he got a brutal response from Twitter users, Trump’s tweet also managed to bring many conservative, liberal, and mainstream pundits together in universal defense for freedom of the press.
Here are some of the responses:
— Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) October 11, 2017
This is starting to just get pathetic tbh. Someone should collect all the threats he's made as POTUS with no followthru. Weak. Sad. Etc… https://t.co/dXhvdNRcJJ
— Tim Miller (@Timodc) October 11, 2017
It is never appropriate nor Constitutional to challenge broadcast licenses on basis of content. Period. Next question. https://t.co/BBeq0DD2uQ
— Hugh Hewitt (@hughhewitt) October 11, 2017
First Ammendment protects freedom of religion, speech, petition, assembly & press. Maybe ‘appropriate’ in authoritarian regimes, not the USA https://t.co/oSmgybzupr
— Will Ripley (@willripleyCNN) October 11, 2017
Trump considers taking networks off air that report negative stories.
SHS last week: Trump's an "incredible advocate" of the 1st Amendment. https://t.co/HnY3tUByFK
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) October 11, 2017
Trump comments of this sort make it much harder for US diplomats to say anything to autocrats about speech crackdowns in their countries.
— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) October 11, 2017
At this rate, watching the NFL on NBC is gonna be borderline treasonous by end of Trump era.
— Philip Klein (@philipaklein) October 11, 2017
See, in order to defeat North Korea, we must first *become* North Korea
— Kilgore Trout (@KT_So_It_Goes) October 11, 2017
Some Twitter users didn’t hold back:
Never you… https://t.co/3BMoxi9qo9 pic.twitter.com/WdpcwAReGn
— Evil Bible Tees (@evilbibletees) October 11, 2017
In attacking the free press you have joined a very special group who’s name’s include Stalin, Putin, Pol Pot, Amin, Hitler, and Mussolini.
— LiA (@LibsInAmerica) October 11, 2017
At what point is it appropriate? When you're Hitler and want to destroy the freedoms and rights that Americans cherish.
— News View (@NewsView100) October 11, 2017
Keep tweeting, you unhinged f*cking MORON. Every foolish utterance you belch is more proof of how bad YOU are for America.
— BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) October 11, 2017
You're a cancer on our great country.
— News View (@NewsView100) October 11, 2017
