RFK Is Wrong ... But Still More Right Than CNN

CNN faceplanted themselves by assuming that RFK Jr. would agree with their supposition that Trump represents a greater “threat to democracy” than Biden. As The Good Professor pointed out here, RFK wasn’t buying it.

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But history matters. RFK erred wildly in saying Biden was “the first and only president to censor political speech.” That’s just not so. I wouldn’t expect a dope from CNN to challenge him on this, but any of us who studied US history, let alone the First Amendment, know that President John Adams signed the Alien and Sedition Acts into law in 1798.

Ed Morrissey

I'd also include the Woodrow Wilson administration among the historic antecedents too. The Sedition Act of 1918 made dissent a criminal offense when it came to the war, and was enthusiastically enforced by Wilson and his agents. 

I agree with Glasser, though, that the Biden administration is a far greater risk to democracy on these grounds than Trump. The bureaucratic state defends Biden and attacks Trump, so it's in Trump's interest to demolish it and its efforts to control debate and dissent. Whether Trump will be effective at it is worth debating, but at least the incentives play better with Trump than with Biden. 

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