CNN’s Jim Acosta Roasts Trump And His Defenders With Brutal Clip Mashup of First Amendment Attacks

CNN anchor Jim Acosta delivered brutal commentary via a video essay comparing Trump defenders arguing on First Amendment grounds with ex-President Donald Trump’s record on those freedoms.

On Friday night’s edition of CNN Tonight, Acosta took on the much-derided free speech defense being made by Trump’s attorney and others, offering video clips that he said show that “Trump and his defenders are all about free speech now, perhaps because his version of the First Amendment is a get-out-of-jail-free card”:

ACOSTA: All right. In the meantime, Donald Trump, as we now know, has more indictments than impeachments. And if he’s indicted in Georgia, he’ll have as many indictments as years spent in the White House.

And tonight, as Republicans accused the Biden administration of weaponizing the Justice Department without evidence, you just saw how Trump is essentially vowing to do exactly that if he’s elected again.

But perhaps you’ve noticed how Trump’s allies have defended the ex- president’s attempts at overthrowing American democracy by claiming he was just exercising his right to free speech. These Trump world figures suddenly sound like champions of the First Amendment.

RUDY GIULIANI, FORMER NEW YORK MAYOR, FORMER TRUMP ATTORNEY: This is a violation of his right of free speech.

JOHN LAURO, LAWYER OF DONALD TRUMP: This is an attack on free speech and political advocacy, and there’s nothing that’s more protected under the First Amendment than political speech.

KEVIN MCCARTHY, SPEAKER, UNITED STATES HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES: You’re entitled to question whether it was honest or not. That’s the uniqueness of the First Amendment.

GIULIANI: You even have a right to lie under the First Amendment.

JONATHAN TURLEY, CONSTITUTIONAL LAW PROFESSOR, GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY: It says that you were spreading falsehoods, that you were undermining the integrity of the election. That’s all part of the First Amendment.

LAURO: What we have now is an administration that has criminalized the free speech.

GIULIANI: You don’t get to violate people’s First Amendment rights, Smith.

ACOSTA: But hold on. That full-throated defense of the First Amendment flies in the face of Donald Trump’s record of undermining these rights. It’s worth noting, Trump has long been at war with the First Amendment. Take for instance, freedom of the press.

DONALD TRUMP, FORMER PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It’s frankly disgusting the way the press is able to write whatever they want to write.

As you know, I have a running war with the media. They are among the most dishonest human beings on Earth.

I called the fake news the enemy of the people, and they are.

ACOSTA: Or freedom of religion.

TRUMP: Donald J. Trump is calling for a total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until our country’s representatives can figure out what the hell is going on.

ACOSTA: You’ll recall Trump’s travel ban once called for a — quote — “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States until the country can figure out what is going on.” Courts struck down that ban in part because it was — quote — “unconstitutionally tainted with animus toward Islam.” The Supreme Court eventually allowed it, citing the expansive power of presidential authority.

Then there is Trump’s track record on freedom of assembly. Critics will point to the way the administration tear gassed and pummeled protesters after the death of George Floyd. His administration also wanted to limit protests near the White House and at the National Mall.

Trump and his allies have been quick to attack freedom of speech. Over the years, Trump himself has targeted plenty of his opponents, from individual citizens to whole companies, when he did not agree with their expression of free speech. And he has scoffed at the idea of First Amendment protections.

TRUMP: Maybe in certain areas, closing that internet up in some way. Somebody will say, oh, freedom of speech, freedom of speech. These are foolish people. We have a lot of foolish people. We have a lot of foolish people.

ACOSTA: So, mark this moment in your calendar. Trump and his defenders are all about free speech now, perhaps because his version of the First Amendment is a get-out-of-jail-free card.

Watch above via CNN Tonight.

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