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Trump Is Attacking Free Speech With This Call to Silence NBC

What happened?

President Donald Trump tweeted a furious response to a recent NBC News report. “Network news has become so partisan, distorted and fake that licenses must be challenged and, if appropriate, revoked,” he said Wednesday. “Not fair to public!”

NBC cited White House officials in a report about a national security meeting that happened over the summer. Trump wanted a tenfold increase in U.S. nuclear weapons after seeing a chart showing a reduction since the 1960s, according to the report.

Can Trump “challenge” NBC?

National networks aren’t licensed, so there is no “license” to be “revoked” in any case.

Does he know about the First Amendment?

Luckily, we Americans have a little thing called the Bill of Rights. These foundational rights include free speech and freedom of the press.

Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska reminded Trump about his commitment to protect and defend that right:

Glenn’s take:

The First Amendment is essential to our freedom, and no president has the right to infringe on it. Whether it’s a Democrat president trying to stop talk radio or a Republican president who wants to shut down negative coverage, conservatives should be against anything that lets the government censor speech.

“We wouldn’t want the government to have to license everybody so they can speak their mind,” Glenn said.

This article provided courtesy of TheBlaze.

GLENN: Think before you tweet. I think this should be our new national slogan. Think before you tweet. Because all of us need a refresher in this.

In less than 140 characters, the president of the United States told us what he thought about the first attempt yesterday. It was a response to NBC News. Now, NBC News came out yesterday with a story that said that he was asking for more nuclear weapons. It was well-sourced. I don't know if it's true or not. But it was well-sourced. Had many different sources in the story.

I thought it was irresponsible of NBC to do it. But it was a story.

So he tweeted yesterday. With all the fake news coming out of NBC and the networks, at what point is it important to challenge their license? Bad for country.

Okay. I don't even know where to begin.

Let me break this down: What's bad for the country is any president of the United States advocating for any kind of obstruction of the free press. This is what a libel suit is all about.

If they're lying, you sue them for it. What's bad for the country is a violation of the Constitution. What's bad for the country is not understanding the First Amendment at the most basic level. That goes for every single citizen and every elected official serving those citizens.

I want you to understand it: I get it. NBC is shameful. What NBC has done for the last ten years -- you know what, forget about that, what NBC has done and showed who they were with Harvey Weinstein is enough. I'm not a fan of NBC.

But that doesn't mean we want any president this, the last president, or the next president, suggesting that we can shut them down because they say things that we don't like. If they say things that are not true, that is what the court system is for.

Even if Trump wanted to challenge their license, he couldn't. That's the next thing. NBC doesn't have a broadcast license. We should -- we as conservatives should be against the license practice. We shouldn't -- we would want the government to have to license everybody so they can speak their mind.

But NBC doesn't have one. The local affiliates do. Not the national network.

And it would be highly unusual for the FCC to revoke a local license based on a broadcaster's content. It doesn't work that way.

So here's some free advice: First of all, those of who are on the left, who are all self-righteous, where were you when past presidents wanted to shut down the voices on talk radio? Because all those voices are lying. Where were you, when they said faux news. Fox News is nothing but fake news. They ought to do something, the government should do something.

So don't get all high and mighty on me now.

What we need to be are Americans that are consistent. Do your homework. Learn how the Federal Communications Commission actually works.

But most importantly, all of us need to reread the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. And the president needs to stop caring what NBC says about him. Mr. President, they're never going to be fair to you. I've been there. Many of us have been there long before they were mean to you. They're not going to like you, period. Get over it.

Now, focus on the things that actually matter. North Korea. Puerto Rico. California.

And, three, Mr. President, and everybody within the sound of my voice, including me, think before you tweet.

Why We Don’t Recognize Real Nazis Anymore | Konstantin Kisin | The Glenn Beck Podcast | Ep 202
Culture Wars

Why We Don’t Recognize Real Nazis Anymore | Konstantin Kisin | The Glenn Beck Podcast | Ep 202

"TRIGGERnometry" co-host Konstantin Kisin grew up in the Soviet Union, so he knows what tyranny looks like. These days, it’s huge mobs of pro-Palestinian protesters prowling the streets, celebrating Hitler — literally. As Kisin tells Glenn: “The people who’ve spent seven years calling people Nazis can’t recognize actual Nazis when they see them.” He suggests that they be rewarded with a one-way ticket to Gaza. Speaking from his home in London — where hundreds of thousands of anti-Israel Brits marched in solidarity with anti-Semitism — Kisin warns Glenn that the situation is about to get even worse. Throughout this episode of “The Glenn Beck Podcast,” he exudes a palpable unease as he charts the telltale signs of a further societal demise, from the indoctrination that has overtaken the education system and the lack of religion to Russia’s war in Ukraine and the terrifying rise of anti-Semitism. He describes his evolution from a centrist-leaning political commentator to someone who sees the far Left for what it is: hateful and dangerous. But Kisin and Glenn’s discussion is not all doom and gloom. Kisin, who’s interviewed notable guests like Jordan Peterson and Bill Maher on his podcast, thinks that a course correction has already started taking place. For example, he tells Glenn why the collapse of the mainstream media is a good thing and why people should be hopeful that social media will someday be as taboo as cigarettes are today. He’s also optimistic about the future of comedy, especially here in America: “People are realizing that wokeness is not the solution to the crisis of meaning and purpose that many young people are suffering.”

Part 3 | ‘Chosen By Allah’: The Truth Behind Iran’s Mission to DESTROY The West | Rumors of War
World News

Part 3 | ‘Chosen By Allah’: The Truth Behind Iran’s Mission to DESTROY The West | Rumors of War

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, recently told Hamas it would NOT enter into the war against Israel and that the terrorist group had not given Iranian officials any prior warning of its attack on October 7th. Hmm…do we REALLY believe that? Because, in reality, Iran has not only been funding Hamas for years, but it has also publicly declared a mission to destroy America — and its allies — ever since it became a theocratic nation decades ago. Iran is willing to use any means possible to complete this goal…nuclear weapons included. But why? Why is there so much hatred against the West and its allies? What’s fueling this goal? In this three-part series, which originally aired in 2011, you’ll learn about the history and the dangerous ideology behind Iran’s every move, the way Democrats and the Obama administration facilitated its progress, and just how close Iran is to its nuclear war goals…

‘Chosen By Allah’: The Truth Behind Iran’s Mission to DESTROY The West | Rumors of War Part 2
VIDEOS

‘Chosen By Allah’: The Truth Behind Iran’s Mission to DESTROY The West | Rumors of War Part 2

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, recently told Hamas it would NOT enter into the war against Israel and that the terrorist group had not given Iranian officials any prior warning of its attack on October 7th. Hmm…do we REALLY believe that? Because, in reality, Iran has not only been funding Hamas for years, but it has also publicly declared a mission to destroy America — and its allies — ever since it became a theocratic nation decades ago. Iran is willing to use any means possible to complete this goal…nuclear weapons included. But why? Why is there so much hatred against the West and its allies? What’s fueling this goal? In this three-part series, which originally aired in 2011, you’ll learn about the history and the dangerous ideology behind Iran’s every move, the way Democrats and the Obama administration facilitated its progress, and just how close Iran is to its nuclear war goals…

‘Chosen By Allah’: The Truth Behind Iran’s Mission to DESTROY The West | Rumors of War Part 1
VIDEOS

‘Chosen By Allah’: The Truth Behind Iran’s Mission to DESTROY The West | Rumors of War Part 1

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, recently told Hamas it would NOT enter into the war against Israel and that the terrorist group had not given Iranian officials any prior warning of its attack on October 7th. Hmm…do we REALLY believe that? Because, in reality, Iran has not only been funding Hamas for years, but it has also publicly declared a mission to destroy America — and its allies — ever since it became a theocratic nation decades ago. Iran is willing to use any means possible to complete this goal…nuclear weapons included. But why? Why is there so much hatred against the West and its allies? What’s fueling this goal? In this three-part series, which originally aired in 2011, you’ll learn about the history and the dangerous ideology behind Iran’s every move, the way Democrats and the Obama administration facilitated its progress, and just how close Iran is to its nuclear war goals…