by C. Moore
September 20, 2025
The Death of the First Amendment: Trump’s War on Free Speech
As an investigative journalist with decades of experience defending the First Amendment, I’ve endured more than my share of danger. My life has been threatened, my family targeted. I’ve been assaulted by both criminals and police, fined, arrested, jailed, and dragged through years of court battles. But never — not once — have I seen anything as alarming as what is happening today.
On September 18, 2025, Donald Trump declared that any television network critical of him would risk having its broadcast license revoked. This came just one day after ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! was suspended, following the earlier cancellation of The Late Show with Stephen Colbert. Trump’s message is clear: dissenting voices will not be tolerated.
Let’s be perfectly honest: this isn’t about “bias in the media.” This is about censorship. This is about silencing opposition. This is about killing comedy before it can mock power — and make no mistake, satire has always been the sharpest blade in democracy’s arsenal.
The Palin–Trump Paradox
When asked why he doesn’t care if Russia invades EU countries, Trump said the U.S. isn’t “geographically close” to Russia, and that Europeans should shoulder the burden for Ukraine’s defense.
“They’re our next-door neighbors — you can actually see Russia from land here in Alaska,” Sarah Palin once said.
And I always thought Sarah wasn’t that swift. Turns out, compared to Trump, she’s Einstein — with a side of cottage cheese.
A Call to Arms — Through Laughter
In protest of this ongoing assault on free speech — and in solidarity with Jimmy Kimmel, Stephen Colbert, and the many journalists slaughtered around the globe this year — I am returning to my roots: satirical wit. Words are swords, and right now, satire is our shield.
Comedy has always been democracy’s secret weapon. That’s why tyrants fear it, that’s why dictators ban it, and that’s why Trump is trying to kill it. Humor exposes lies. Humor punctures egos. Humor topples emperors who think they wear clothes.
Long live comedy. Long live satire. It’s time for all of us to pick up the torch and rise. Sharpen your wit, wield your words, and refuse to be silenced.
PSA: “Killing humor isn’t funny. Kill humor, kill freedom. Not so funny now, is it?”