Trump last night denounced totalitarianism (toe-tallie-terrio-tism), accusing left of "shaming dissenters & demanding submission from anyone who disagrees." Some of the ways Trump has used his own powers to punish dissenters, critics, perceived enemies: /1
*weaponizing anti-trust against media org whose coverage he dislikes (CNN)
*threatening to "revoke license" of media org whose coverage he dislikes (NBC) /2
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/03/06/trumps-impeachable-antitrust-power-grab/ https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-media/trump-suggests-challenging-tv-network-licenses-over-fake-news-idUSKBN1CG1WB
Opinion | Trump’s impeachable antitrust power grab

What the CNN case demonstrates is that the president's motives matter.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2019/03/06/trumps-impeachable-antitrust-power-grab/
*weaponizing US Postal Service against owner of media org he dislikes (WaPo, personally owned by Amazon CEO Bezos)
*weaponizing govt procurement against owner of media org he doesn't like (also WaPo, Bezos) /3
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-trump-postalservic/trump-threatens-to-block-aid-for-us-postal-service-if-it-does-not-raise-prices-for-amazon-idUSKCN226367 https://www.politico.com/news/2020/04/15/pentagon-amazon-trump-contract-187850
Trump threatens to block aid for U.S. Postal Service if it does not raise prices for Amazon

President Donald Trump on Friday threatened to block federal aid for the U.S. Postal Service unless it raises shipping rates for online companies like Amazon.com, prompting criticism that the move...

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-trump-postalservic/trump-threatens-to-block-aid-for-us-postal-service-if-it-does-not-raise-prices-for-amazon-idUSKCN226367
*falsely accusing TV host of murder after critical coverage (Scarborough)
*firing & blocking from promotion government employee whose speech he dislikes (Vindman) /4
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/27/business/media/trump-joe-scarborough-conservative-media.html
https://www.axios.com/trump-tweet-vindman-insubordiante-firing-a9929087-fe9a-44ef-b95b-12d07e235682.html
‘Ugly Even for Him’: Trump’s Usual Allies Recoil at His Smear of MSNBC Host

The Wall Street Journal and Washington Examiner chastised the president as a top House Republican, Liz Cheney, urged him to “stop” his attacks on Joe Scarborough.

https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/27/business/media/trump-joe-scarborough-conservative-media.html
*trying to block publication of multiple books critical of him (Bolton, Trump's niece Mary Trump) /5
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/legal-issues/us-judge-declines-to-block-release-of-book-by-former-national-security-adviser-john-bolton/2020/06/20/e14842f2-b301-11ea-8758-bfd1d045525a_story.html
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-07-02/mary-trump-publisher-gets-court-to-lift-order-blocking-her-book
Judge declines to block release of Bolton book

U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth, however, noted that it appeared the former national security adviser failed to complete a pre-publication government review and get written authority that his...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/legal-issues/us-judge-declines-to-block-release-of-book-by-former-national-security-adviser-john-bolton/2020/06/20/e14842f2-b301-11ea-8758-bfd1d045525a_story.html
*encouraging violence against protesters at his rallies, journalists, etc.
*teargassing peaceful protesters in front of the White House so he could have infamous bible photo op /6
https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/back-trump-comments-perceived-encouraging-violence/story?id=48415766
https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2020/06/08/timeline-trump-church-photo-op/?arc404=true
A look back at Trump comments perceived by some as inciting violence

Here's a look back at comments by President Trump perceived by some as inciting violence, with one of his latest reading, "when the looting starts, the shooting starts."

https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/back-trump-comments-perceived-encouraging-violence/story?id=48415766
. @dandrezner with another example I should have included https://twitter.com/dandrezner/status/1279758267867189248
Further elaboration on the Cancel Culture president, and how he uses state power to crush and cancel dissent: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/07/04/trump-decries-cancel-culture-no-one-embraces-it-more/
Opinion | Trump decries ‘cancel culture’ — but no one embraces it more

Trump rails against anti-free-speech "cancel culture" while using powers of his office to crush and cancel dissent.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/07/04/trump-decries-cancel-culture-no-one-embraces-it-more/
also of course (thanks @jonathanchait) https://twitter.com/jonathanchait/status/1279781455338627073?s=20
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