LEMON DROP | Senator Mark Kelly On Donald Trump & the Threat to Democracy
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What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
Senator Mark Kelly joins us now. He served the great state of Arizona since 2020. Thank you, Senator. I appreciate you joining.
Good to be on, Don. Thank you.
Thank you. Senator, can we talk about freedom of, well, first of all, the First Amendment, but specifically for me, freedom of the press in this country?
How does Senator Mark Kelly describe threats to the First Amendment and freedom of the press?
I believe that that is in jeopardy. When you heard about what happened to me, what was your reaction?
Well, it's just another more egregious behavior and a line that I didn't think they would cross. They crossed the line with me, with my First Amendment freedom of speech rights. I didn't think they would lock up a journalist doing his job. But they're willing to take some steps that are deep into the authoritarian playbook. And it's really disturbing and it's troubling and it's dangerous. And I really worry about the future of our democracy if this continues. I mean, you know, freedom of the press, religion, freedom of speech, you know, they're ticking through them here with regards to the First Amendment. But, you know, the others going into people's homes without warrants, taking away due process from people.
Now we have these roaming bands of ICE agents just violating people's rights across the country.
I saw you on with my colleague, my former colleague, Aaron Burnett. And when I saw your comment, I heard your comments. I said, we have to get the senator on because I agree with you. This is not just about me. This is about the trying to chill free speech and trying to chill journalists and journalism and journalists because they don't want those pictures getting out there.
Yeah, not you specifically. You're just an example that they want to send to all journalists. They want to get that reporter out there, whether it's some young, brand new person out of journalism school or some person that's been doing this for 30 years, 40 years, to make a decision not to write the story, not to ask the question, not to go to the place where they can get the information so they can share it with the American people so we can continue to have a democracy beyond this 250 years. They're trying to chill free speech, First Amendment speech rights, but freedom of the press is so critical. I mean, these two things, speech and the press, holds it all together. And some of these other rights that we have flow out of that without accurate information.
How can the American people make any decisions about what the future of this country should be if they do not know what's going on?
True, 100%. But also, I think in that just trying to chill the press, I believe they're trying to instill fear. Because I'll tell you, personally for me that I've spoken about it, when I heard them banting my name about on Fox News and conservative channels and what have you, I was like, first of all, why do I have the government or the Department of Justice talking about me publicly before they've even filed anything? My attorneys reached out to them to self-report.
Why does Kelly call recent actions against journalists an authoritarian playbook?
to turn myself in, the same convenience and courtesy that Donald Trump got when he was indicted, but they didn't allow that. Instead, they sent a bunch of agents in the middle of the night to arrest me, which is a waste of taxpayer dollars. Do you think it is about fear and intimidation? Because they tried to intimidate you. They tried to demote you, right?
100%, not about the law. You were not violating the law. You were doing your job. And, you know, this is to send a message to every journalist out there that isn't one of their sycophants. that they should stop doing their jobs because they view you and me as the opposition. And if you're not with this president, you know, he looks at you as the enemy. And he is taking steps to try to chill and stop us from doing what we are hired to do. I'm a sitting U.S. Senator. I'm on the Armed Services Committee. My job is accountability over the Department of Defense. I'm also on the Intelligence Committee. So I have a role there as well. They didn't like what I said. And they, you know, immediately this president said I should be hanged.
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Chapters
4 chapters
1
What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
0:13–0:30
2
How does Senator Mark Kelly describe threats to the First Amendment and freedom of the press?
0:30–3:40
3
Why does Kelly call recent actions against journalists an authoritarian playbook?
3:40–8:51
4
How were Don Lemon and other journalists targeted to intimidate the press?
8:51–15:38