In what it called a “chilling precedent against free speech rights,” President Trump’s campaign arm said that CNN, ABC, CBS and NBC rejected an ad promoting the administration’s achievements during the first 100 days.
From the organization:
NEW YORK, NY – Setting a chilling precedent against free speech rights, Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. has just learned that now, all of the mainstream media television networks have decided to block the paid placement of a campaign ad that celebrates the achievements of President Trump in his first 100 days in office. The ad was first released on Monday, May 1. Since then, one by one, the mainstream TV networks have blocked the ad from running, including CNN, ABC, CBS, and NBC.
Lara Trump, the wife of Eric Trump and daughter-in-law of President Trump, who serves as a consultant to Donald J. Trump for President, Inc. said: “Apparently, the mainstream media are champions of the First Amendment only when it serves their own political views. Faced with an ad that doesn’t fit their biased narrative, CNN, ABC, CBS, and NBC have now all chosen to block our ad. This is an unprecedented act of censorship in America that should concern every freedom-loving citizen.”
On Thursday night, Lara Trump, defended the ad on Fox News Channel’s “Hannity,” stating, “It’s a great ad and it highlights all the wonderful things that have happened…It’s really disappointing…this is supposed to be a free society. We have freedom of speech. The fact that this ad is not being shown on CNN, on NBC, on CBS, on news networks who have a duty to report to the public the facts…is really, really ridiculous to me. It’s really sad.”
Paul Bedard, the Washington Examiner’s “Washington Secrets” columnist, can be contacted at [email protected]
