SKY IS FALLING

Trump Wants to Undermine First Amendment

Promises to expand libel laws to go after disfavored media outlets.

Presidential candidate Donald Trump said Friday during a rally in Texas that he wants to “open up our libel laws so when [reporters] write purposely negative and horrible and false articles, we can sue them and win lots of money.” The GOP frontrunner suggested that when he becomes president, places like The New York Times and The Washington Post, “the most dishonest media outlets I’ve ever seen in my life,” will pay for their unfavorable coverage of his campaign. He continued, “I think the media is among the most dishonest groups of people I’ve ever met. They’re terrible.”

Once he’s able to rectify the issue of “horrible” media coverage, he said, “When The New York Times writes a hit piece, which is a total disgrace, or when The Washington Post, which is there for other reasons, writes a hit piece, we can sue them and win money instead of having no chance of winning because they’re totally protected.”

Such an overhaul of free-press laws would require serious alterations to the meaning of the First Amendment. But Trump didn’t mention that part, of course.