GOP is committing 'political suicide' to help Trump nuke free speech: Ex-lawmaker

Republicans are knowingly leading their party into political disaster by backing President Donald Trump as he and his FCC chairman, Brendan Carr, jawbone Disney into suspending late-night comedian Jimmy Kimmel for criticizing the GOP's response to the slaying of right-wing activist Charlie Kirk, argued former Rep. Max Rose (D-NY) on MSNBC's "Deadline: White House" Friday.

A few conservatives are crying foul over the whole situation, with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) lauding the firing but calling Carr's threats against Disney "dangerous as hell" and akin to mob boss tactics — but, noted anchor Alicia Menendez, "Heis not the only Republicanwho's been talking about this," and most have said they're totally unbothered by even that aspect of things.

Menendez played numerous clips of Republicans refusing to condemn the situation, with Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) flatly denying there was any government intervention against speech and saying, "I think Jimmy Kimmel wastaken off air because he's anunfunny activist ... this isn't thegovernment model. This is, this is Disney."

"Okay, I just want to followtheir logic for a secondbecause it's not like he — let'ssay he was unfunny, right? It'snot that he turned unfunny onthe same day that the FCC chairjust happens to say, 'we can dothis the easy way or the hardway,' and the next hour changestheir mind," Menendez said, turning to Rose.

"Oh, they are so desperate for thesubject to change here, becausethis tap-dancing is reallyobvious," said Rose. "But what's alsoobvious is just the dramaticabout-shift they have madeabout cancel culture. I mean,these were the folks that weresaying in an election less thana year ago that the other sideare snowflakes. The other sidewould want to cancel everythingyou're saying. All this wokestuff, one could actually argue,was a relatively significantissue in the last election. Andnow, just because Donald Trumphas said something — theyhaven't read one poll thatshows this Jimmy Kimmel issueis a good one for them. In fact,it's obviously massivelyunpopular. But just because Donald Trump said something,they are all falling in lineand falling on their sword."

"Soit's yet another indicationthat they will even commitpolitical suicide, just instrict subservience to him asfully-owned subsidiaries ofDonald Trump and MAGA Incorporated," Rose added.

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