On this edition of Your Call’s Media Roundtable, longtime radio host and the author Thom Hartmann discusses media coverage of the election and the real consequences of a second Trump presidency.
He writes: "His first step would be to gut the press, because the more widespread his actions are publicized the more they’re likely to stir up opposition. He’s already told us how he’ll do this: change the nation’s libel laws so he, his administration’s officials, and his billionaire friends can sue reporters and media outlets for "defaming" and "libeling" them with negative reporting or opinion pieces.
This is a well-trod path; both Putin and Orbán did the same. Much like the way JD Vance’s billionaire mentor went after Gawker when it outed him, the lawsuits will both put out of business the publications and bankrupt the individual reporters and writers. Just like in Russia and Hungary, once the nation’s media outlets are crippled, the billionaires close to Trump will buy them for a song and turn them all into the equivalents of Fox 'News.'"
Guest:
Thom Hartmann, syndicated talk-show host and author of many books, including "The Hidden History of Monopolies: How Big Business Destroyed the American Dream"
Resources:
Thom Hartmann: If We Don’t Break the Cycle, a 'Trump' Will Always Lurk in the Shadows
Thom Hartmann: Can America Avoid Another Civil War?
Thom Hartmann: Not Scared About Just How Vicious a Second Trump Presidency Would Be? Let Me Walk You Through It
Thom Hartmann: US Fascism Has Arrived Thanks to 30 Years of Right-Wing Talk Radio Dominance
