While Donald Trump was gearing up to lambaste the media to his supporters at a Florida rally on Sunday, Sen. John McCain was telling NBC News’ Chuck Todd on “Meet the Press” that dictators “get started by suppressing free press.”
The well-respected Arizona Republican has been a frequent critic of the new POTUS, particularly with issues involving foreign policy and national security. His continued denigration of the media has come under frequent fire from both the left and the right, as it is an essential element of a democratic society.
“I hate the press,” McCain said, joking with Todd. “I hate you, especially. But the fact is we need you. We need a free press. We must have it. It’s vital.”
But he continued, “If you want to preserve — I’m very serious now — if you want to preserve democracy as we know it, you have to have a free and, many times, adversarial press. And without it, I am afraid that we would lose so much of our individual liberties over time. That’s how dictators get started.”
McCain went on to clarify: “They get started by suppressing free press, in other words, a consolidation of power — when you look at history, the first thing that dictators do is shut down the press. And I’m not saying that President Trump is trying to be a dictator. I’m just saying we need to learn the lessons of history.”
Watch the “Meet the Press” clip with Sen. McCain above.
8 Donald Trump-Inspired TV Shows and Movies (Photos)
Donald Trump's surprise victory in the 2016 election has inspired a wave of creativity in Hollywood, including a spate of shows and movies inspired by the real estate-magnate-turned-reality TV star-turned president of the United States.
Getty Images
Law & Order: SVU
Shortly before the November election, NBC decided to shelve a "Law & Order: SVU" episode inspired by Donald Trump. Titled "Unstoppable," the episode stars Gary Cole as a presidential hopeful thwarted by multiple sexual assault allegations. Executive producer Dick Wolf recently said he "suspects" the episode will air in May, but it has yet to be scheduled.
NBC
Trump: It Happened Here
Political reporter Scott Conroy has written a dramatized version of the Donald Trump campaign, chronicling Trump's rise from real estate mogul to reality TV star, and eventually president. The unproduced script also reportedly features "The Apprentice" producer Mark Burnett, CNN's Jeff Zucker, and Trump allies Steven Bannon, Hope Hicks and Corey Lewandowski.
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American Horror Story Season 7
Ryan Murphy revealed on Bravo's "Watch What Happens Live" that the next installment of his anthology series "American Horror Story" will tackle the 2016 election, but declined to reveal further details.
FX
The Circus: Inside the Greatest Political Show on Earth
Throughout much of the 2016 campaign, Showtime aired a weekly documentary series giving a behind-the-scenes look at the race, featuring John Heilemann and Mark Halperin of Bloomberg Politics and and former campaign strategist Mark McKinnon.
Showtime
Trumped: Inside the Greatest Political Upset of All Time
After Trump's surprise victory, directors Ted Bourne, Mary Robertson, and Banks Tarver went through the thousands of hours of footage shot for "The Circus," to create a feature documentary that debuted at the Sundance Film Festival.
Showtime
Nobody Speak
Another documentary which premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival, "Nobody Speak" examines the Peter Thiel-funded lawsuit that bankrupted Gawker Media and shuttered the company's title blog. Given Thiel's role as a Trump advisor, the film also casts a suspicious eye toward the new administration's combative relationship with the press.
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The Builder
The Black List released its annual list of the best unproduced screenplays back in December, and among them was Tom Cartier's "The Builder," which dramatizes the life of a young Donald Trump as he undergoes his first Manhattan real estate deal. The script also examines his relationships with his troubled older brother, Freddy, and fixer Roy Cohn.
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Michael Moore in Trumpland
Director Michael Moore, an outspoken Trump critic, released a surprise film back in October. The film featured a taped performance of Moore's live stage show in Wilmington, Ohio.
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Expect many more Trump-related films and TV shows. A Fox executive told TheWrap in January that Hollywood is bracing for a flood of pitches about The Donald.
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Trump’s surprise victory in the 2016 election has inspired a new wave of scripted and unscripted projects
Donald Trump's surprise victory in the 2016 election has inspired a wave of creativity in Hollywood, including a spate of shows and movies inspired by the real estate-magnate-turned-reality TV star-turned president of the United States.
Getty Images
NBC
