Authoritarianism is A Threat to Democracy

Floor Speech

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Mr. COHEN. Mr. Speaker, we have talked at long length about the threat to democracy and the fear of an authoritarian leader in Washington.

The time is now. The authoritarian leader in this administration has surfaced. When the head of a communications company says that a television personality's comments can cause a television station or should cause a television station to cancel his show and it happens, that is authoritarianism. It is also when the government dictates what should and shouldn't be said on television and whether they should be punished and using the power of the government to suppress free speech.

The President then followed up and said that NBC should get rid of two of its late-night shows. CBS has canceled their late-night show.

I don't know what Johnny Carson or Jack Paar would think about all of this. I am sure Alec Baldwin wouldn't like it, and President Trump didn't like the way he treated him. Chevy Chase falling over Gerald Ford would probably put him in bad positions, too. Comedy is comedy. Free speech is free speech, and we shouldn't step on it.

God bless the First Amendment.

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