Sasse warns of 'weaponizing distrust' after Trump's media attacks

[riversedge]

Source: Cnn



By Deena Zaru, CNN

Updated 3:05 PM ET, Sun July 2, 2017

Now Playing Sen. Ben Sasse:





(CNN) Nebraska Sen. Ben Sasse said Sunday that he is troubled by President Donald Trump's latest attacks on the news media because he is concerned about the danger of "weaponizing distrust," which can harm the freedoms that define a democracy.




"There's an important distinction to draw between bad stories or crappy coverage and the right that citizens have to argue about that and complain about that and trying to weaponize distrust," Sasse said in an interview with Jake Tapper on CNN's "State of the Union." "The First Amendment is the beating heart of the American experiment, and you don't get to separate the freedoms that are in there."
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Sasse said that while he agrees with Trump "that there's a lot of crappy journalism out there," if Americans are not open to hearing differing views, it's "going to be possible for people to surround themselves only with echo chambers and silos of people that already believe, only believe what they believe."

"We differ about really big and important things in this country and then we come together around the First Amendment, which is an affirmation of the fact that people are free before government," he added. "I mean, this is the Fourth of July weekend. The Declaration of Independence is pretty dang clear about this — that we think government is just our shared tool to secure those rights."..........................

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/02/politics/ben-sasse-donald-trump-media-attacks/index.html

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Link to tweet

Republican Sen. Sasse says he's troubled by Trump's attacks on the news media
Panel argues over Trump's anti-CNN tweet

[Kolesar]

1. Oh, gosh, after ten years of death threats, anthrax, Cliven Bundy domestic terror...

We are going to have "weaponized distrust"?
I am so sick and cynical.

[Achilleaze]

2. Too late. the republican Draft-Dodger-in-Chief shit the trust bed

long ago. The only entities who trust him are the deplorables.

[Iliyah]

3. What are the GOPers gonna do about it?

NOTHING

[Blue_Adept]

4. What a tool

[turbinetree]

5. Hey Sasse, your a complete ass

everyday when your leadership goes in front of the camera, you say nothing but BS.

Here lets remind everyone who backs your insanity......................which I posted earlier this week ass****

So in essence FUCK YOU

[TomSlick]

6. Wait a minute.

Look at who is saying this. If Repub Senators are starting to ask questions about Trump's apparent disregard for our democratic institutions, it may be a good sign. Nothing is going to be done about Trump unless Repub Representatives and Senators get behind it.

[nikibatts]

7. They are not going to be satisfied until they cause a shooting and million of some journalist.

Yet they allow and applaud shit like the NRA latest ad. It is sickening. They are trying to wear us down but don't let them. We need to turn out in record numbers in 2018 and 2020.

[BumRushDaShow]

8. "if Americans are not open to hearing differing views"

Here is a debate between 2 people with "differing views" -

What passes for "differing views" today is that one side manufactures bullshit, the other side reacts defensively, and the back and forth ensues resulting in more and more acrimonious dialog until the whole discussion gets shut down.

[JHan]

12. ++++++++

[marylandblue]

9. Sasse is a Never Trumper, but he fell in after the election

If he plans to fall out he better do more than wrinkle his brow.

[bitterross]

10. Wow, he made total sense. This is a good thing. Don't be so quick to condemn

Hey, don't smack down a reasonable opinion from a Republican who actually made it in front the cameras.

We should embrace the opinion and the clip even if we do not embrace the person.

We have to get them to start somewhere.

[JustABozoOnThisBus]

11. Meanwhile, Sasse is weaponizing the health care bill

He wants to separate it into "Repeal", and then maybe replace or maybe not.

[YOHABLO]

13. These people (GOPers) are so hypocritical. Trumps your MAN. Own it a...holes.

The problem in this country is the conservative, libertarian, christo-fascist ideology that's killing us. Not to mention the billionaire class that controls us.