'That's how dictators get started': Senator McCain slams President Trump's constant attacks on the media and says a free press is 'vital'
- In response to President Trump's recent attacks on media, Senator McCain said in an interview he considers a free press vital to American democracy
- McCain clarified he was not labeling Trump a future dictator because of attacks
- Trump said the purpose for the campaign-style rally Saturday was so he could speak to supporters 'without the filter of the fake news'
One of President Donald Trump's most vocal critics in the GOP slammed the commander-in-chief's vitriolic hatred towards mainstream media.
Senator John McCain said in an interview he considers a free and 'adversarial' press vital to American democracy.
The senator said on Meet the Press: 'We need a free press. We must have it. It's vital.'
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Senator John McCain said in an interview: 'We need a free press. We must have it. It's vital'
McCain said he disagrees with Trump's characterization of the press as the 'enemy'
'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.'
However, McCain clarified he was not calling Trump a future dictator. He was referencing the history of dictators in the context of World War II according to NBC.
Much of Trump's speech in Melbourne was about media coverage he deemed unfair. He said despite reports, things in the White House were running well
He continued: '[Dictators] 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.'
McCain has criticized Trump in the past and famously rescinded his support for the Republican nominee after the tapes of the 'locker-room talk' surfaced.
Since the election, the senator has criticized the travel ban and Trump's Yemen raid where an American Navy SEAL was killed.
However, McCain has voted to approve every one of Trump's cabinet picks with the exception of EPA administrator. He abstained from voting for Oklahoma Attorney General Scott Pruitt for the position.
Few days pass without President Trump taking to Twitter to lash out at outlets that run less than flattering stories about his administration.
At Trump's rally in Melbourne Saturday, he continued his tirade against mainstream media outlets he labels 'fake'.
Trump said the purpose of the campaign-style rally four weeks into his presidency was so he could speak to supporters 'without the filter of the fake news'.
The day before, he tweeted about some of America's largest news outlets: 'The FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @NBCNews, @ABC, @CBS, @CNN) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People!'
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