'It's called the First Amendment': Pundits decry Trump call for 'retribution' against 'SNL'
Many politicians and pundits reacted harshly Sunday after President Donald Trump railed against the media on Twitter sparked by a "Saturday Night Live" sketch that mocked his performance at a Friday White House news conference where declared a national emergency at the U.S.-Mexico border.
"Nothing funny about tired 'Saturday Night Live' on Fake News NBC!" the president tweeted. "Question is, how do the Networks get away with these total Republican hit jobs without retribution? Likewise for many other shows? Very unfair and should be looked into. This is the real Collusion!"
"THE RIGGED AND CORRUPT MEDIA IS THE ENEMY OF THE PEOPLE!" he added minutes later.
A number of Trump's critics quickly fired back at what they saw as an attack on the First Amendment, which protects freedom of speech.
Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif. said, "One thing that makes America great is that the people can laugh at you without retribution."
'SNL': Trump slaps back after Alec Baldwin mocks his national emergency news conference
Dear @realDonaldTrump: One thing that makes America great is that the people can laugh at you without retribution. The First Amendment allows Saturday Night Live to make fun of you again, and again, and again. @nbcsnl
You should read the Constitution, or get briefed on it. https://t.co/4QxoMrLcmI— Ted Lieu (@tedlieu) February 17, 2019
Such attacks on the media from the president have "become commonplace enough in the past two years that it no longer gets much notice," New York Times White House correspondent Peter Baker said.
"But it's worth remembering that no other president in decades publicly threatened "retribution" against a television network because it satirized him."
It's become commonplace enough in the past two years that it no longer gets much notice. But it's worth remembering that no other president in decades publicly threatened "retribution" against a television network because it satirized him.
— Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt) February 17, 2019
Some commentators pointed out the violence that has been directed toward members of the news media in recent months, including a man who allegedly assaulted a BBC cameraman at a Trump rally, a man who allegedly mailed pipe bombs to CNN and several Trump critics, the murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi and the fatal shooting of five reporters at the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland.
Your reminder that a Florida man who had pictures of the President plastered across his van currently awaits trial for mailing package bombs to several targets the President has verbally attacked as enemies. https://t.co/CFoAqZ35eE
— Josh Campbell (@joshscampbell) February 17, 2019
One of Your Supporters went into the Press Pen and attacked a Cameraman right after your riled them up!pic.twitter.com/Pliyw5D35Y
— Ryan Hill (@RyanHillMI) February 17, 2019
Four months after a man sent more than a dozen pipe bombs to CNN and other perceived critics of the president, he is calling for “retribution” against news organizations. https://t.co/iI1qRYptub
— Scott Bixby (@scottbix) February 17, 2019
Here are some other reactions to Trump's "SNL" tirade:
A national leader threatening “retribution” against those who practice political satire. What would you say if you saw this in any other country? https://t.co/XjpzDN16Yy
— Catherine Rampell (@crampell) February 17, 2019
National Emergency Weekend: golfing, stopping by the omelet station, expressing contempt for the rule of law and the First Amendment.
So... just like every other weekend. https://t.co/r72FClDimz— Rep. Don Beyer (@RepDonBeyer) February 17, 2019
Those who love our Constitution know that its first amendment protects the freedom of the press. The media informs the people so we can hold our government accountable. To call them the enemy is to seek to subvert democracy itself. https://t.co/FUApgVHg4s
— Josh Stein (@JoshStein_) February 17, 2019
It’s called the First Amendment. https://t.co/vlOXOkR2Gq
— ACLU (@ACLU) February 17, 2019
The enemies of the people include complacency, inaction, fear, authoritarianism, wannabe dictators, snake oil, greed, bigotry and cynicism.
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) February 17, 2019
#SNL has parodied every president since 1975 — most have been flattered https://t.co/jdrSApSl2z
— Matt Wilstein (@mattwilstein) February 17, 2019
Retribution? You tried to get me fired when you worked for NBC. That didn't work. Now you're president. Now what? https://t.co/4kdlxK8OJ1
— Lawrence O'Donnell (@Lawrence) February 17, 2019
A State of Emergency for the First Amendment: The President of the United States has declared a comedy show should be "looked into" for making fun of him, and raised the possibility of "retribution." Let's just let that sink in for a moment, America. https://t.co/ADJSYPwqz3
— Karen Tumulty (@ktumulty) February 17, 2019
For the love of God, someone give this guy an audio recording of the constitution.
— Alyssa Milano (@Alyssa_Milano) February 17, 2019
I worked on #SaturdayNightLive for 8 seasons when there was an avalanche of jokes made against Bill Clinton and George W Bush. But Clinton nor Bush ever whined the jokes were unfair or did they threaten to shut down the show. Trump's next national emergency will be ending comedy!
— (((DeanObeidallah))) (@DeanObeidallah) February 17, 2019
1) “Retribution”
2) Lumping SNL in with NBC News (and thr news media broadly) is both ridiculous and something lots of people probably buy into. https://t.co/EMHZH6rURX— Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) February 17, 2019
“Hit jobs.” “Retribution.” The thinking and language of a mob boss, not a President. https://t.co/RjzofzyCdO
— Michael R. Bromwich (@mrbromwich) February 17, 2019
There’s a long history of authoritarian leaders targeting satirists for “retribution,” and this is probably why. It’s hard to feel the power they crave when people are laughing at them, so their impulse is to turn the laughter into fear. https://t.co/CP8klie1kk pic.twitter.com/yfTbrFC76D
— Sulome Anderson (@SulomeAnderson) February 17, 2019
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'It's called the First Amendment': Pundits decry Trump call for 'retribution' against 'SNL'
