Representative Jim Himes (D-CT) said Tuesday on MSNBC’s “Deadline” that former President Donald Trump calling the media “fake news” was a litmus test of authoritarianism.
Anchor Nicolle Wallace said, “Anyone who describes journalists who are shining a light on the abuses in Ukraine and all around the world the enemy of the people is in bed with Putin, is in bed with other dictators and authoritarian leaders. How much of these sort of ravages of the world have their origins in the people Donald Trump lifted up and the allies he didn’t help?”
Himes said, “You know, it’s a litmus test, Nicolle, of authoritarianism. You know, as an elected official, I’m the first to say that the press, which is there to hold people like me accountable, will sometimes be really annoying, sometimes they will get the story wrong, but it’s practically a mathematical litmus test. The more you rail against the press, the more you rail against the media, the wronger you are. That’s why there is no media in North Korea, and that’s why there is a media in the West.”
He added, “Russia is not North Korea. There is no way that you can cut off Russians from access to their cousins, their friends, their business associates around the western world. So you know, the story will get told inside Russia, and of course, you made the comparison to Donald Trump. You can count on Putin and his people saying, this is fake news.”
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN
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