1. Trump continues to call the press "the enemy of the people," which is both disgusting and dangerous. To understand why, let's look at the history of that sinister phrase, who has used it in the past, why, and how it fosters a higher likelihood of violence against journalists.
2. The modern origins of the phrase are from the French Revolution's "reign of terror," when people were beheaded en masse. But it resurged during the Nazi era, when Hitler referred to the "lying press" and called Jews "the enemy of the people." But, it keeps getting worse...
3. It's a Soviet phrase too, something Lenin started and Stalin continued. For Stalin, labeling someone an "enemy of the people," meant internment at a forced labor camp and sometimes death. The term was *too extreme* for Nikita Khrushchev, who denounced it *in the 1950s.*
4. Mao used the phrase regularly too to label anyone who opposed his rule as an "enemy of the people." The consequences of that label were also dire and often led to death. Mao was a murderous dictator who killed nearly 40 million people.
5. In modern times, other dictators have used the phrase too. Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez labeled critical media outlets as "enemies of the homeland," in the same vein. Are you beginning to see a pattern in what type of regime calls its critics the "enemy of the people?"
6. The phrase has also been deployed against the press in places as diverse as Myanmar (when it was ruled purely by a military junta) and Zimbabwe (when it was ruled by longtime dictator Robert Mugabe).
7. There is a reason that the phrase "enemy of the people" has been almost exclusively deployed by murderous dictators. To use it to describe the free press, which is a pillar of every democracy, is particularly sinister. Trump is borrowing a phrase from the worst of the worst.
8. Calling the press "the enemy of the people" has consequences foreign and domestic. Many journalists in other countries have been jailed for being "fake news" since Trump began using that term. Journalists in authoritarian regimes are sometimes killed. The victims will increase
9. In my field research, I've interviewed several authoritarian leaders who admit that they do *what they can get away with* when it comes to destroying the press. The White House used to be the deterrent, threatening consequences to regimes that harassed or attacked journalists.
10. If anyone believes Trump would pick up the phone and call a foreign dictator who jails or tortures a "fake news" journalist, then you are nuts. He doesn't care. If anything, he has an affinity for ruthless rulers like Putin/Duterte/Erdogan *because* they abuse the press.
11. Calling the press "the enemy of the people" also encourages violence against journalists in the US. Keep in mind that he has also called the free press "a stain on America," and "scum." People listen to him. And a lot of crazy people with guns listen to him too.
12. Trump endorsed a candidate even after he (Greg Gianforte) physically assaulted a reporter and lied about it. Trump has also tweeted images of him beating up a likeness of CNN. A plot to shoot up "fake news" CNN was foiled, thankfully. But the threat is very real and ongoing.
13. Trump's anti-press rhetoric puts him in a category with Stalin, Mao, Mugabe, Hitler & Chavez. This isn't partisan. Democracy can't survive without a free press. Authoritarianism requires the press to be crushed or cowed. Trump's rhetoric is disgusting, dangerous, and must end
