A year ago, Donald Trump took an oath to protect and defend the Constitution of the United States and its first amendment to uphold the freedom of speech.
Trump has repeatedly violated that oath. His unrelenting attacks on a free press are reminiscent of so called “strong men” around the world. I commend Republican Sens. John McCain and Jeff Flake for calling out the president. It is time for other members of the Senate and House to summon the courage to condemn Trump’s destructive “fake news” campaign.
Donald Trump has boasted that he invented the term “fake news.” He has become the conspiracy theorist in chief from his embrace of birtherism to his current attacks on the FBI. Not only has he lied continuously, but he has forced others to lie in their efforts to defend him. The press and media make mistakes but own up to them.
This president never takes responsibility for his false and misleading statements.
He brags about them and uses the noise he creates to distract the nation from his blatant conflicts of interest, not to mention his general incompetence.
This is not the first time the country has been lied to or the first time a president has denigrated a free press. If Donald Trump is allowed to succeed in his campaign of lies and deceit, we will be one step closer to losing a free Democracy that relies on “telling the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, so help us God.”
FRANK WARMAN
Hopkinton