A Republican senator is questioning whether President Donald Trump is committed to defending the Constitution after the President suggested that news outlets’ broadcasting licenses should be “challenged.”
Sen. Ben Sasse (R-NE) tweeted a statement late Wednesday asking whether Trump was “recanting his oath” of office.
“Mr. President: Words spoken by the President of the United States matter. Are you tonight recanting of the oath you took on January 20th to preserve, protect and defend the First Amendment?”
Mr. President:
Are you recanting of the Oath you took on Jan. 20 to preserve, protect, and defend the 1st Amendment? pic.twitter.com/XLB7QXM3bQ— Ben Sasse (@BenSasse) October 12, 2017
The President’s tweets are apparently in response to reports from NBC that Trump’s Secretary of State Rex Tillerson wanted to resign from his post this summer and called Trump a “moron.”
Both have denied that the reports are true.
With all of the Fake News coming out of NBC and the Networks, at what point is it appropriate to challenge their License? Bad for country!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 11, 2017
Network news has become so partisan, distorted and fake that licenses must be challenged and, if appropriate, revoked. Not fair to public!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 12, 2017
While attacking the media isn’t new for Trump, his latest threat of using the power of the federal government to go after media companies represents a dramatic escalation in his ongoing war against the press.
