The legacy media is inevitably skeptical of something favored by the Trump administration, and that apparently contains free speech.
Margaret Brennan, host of CBS Information’ “Face the Nation,” was accused of revisionist historical past for an interview Sunday with Secretary of State Marco Rubio wherein she mentioned that Nazi Germany took benefit of free speech to hold out the Holocaust.
Her feedback got here in response to an deal with Friday by Vice President J.D. Vance on the Munich Safety Convention wherein he dinged European nations for backsliding on freedom of expression.
“He was standing in a rustic the place free speech was weaponized to conduct a genocide,” mentioned Ms. Brennan, referring to the 6 million Jews killed in Nazi focus camps from 1941-45.
Mr. Rubio instantly challenged her declare, saying “I’ve to disagree with you. Free speech was not used to conduct a genocide.”
“The genocide was carried out by an authoritarian Nazi regime that occurred to even be genocidal as a result of they hated Jews and so they hated minorities and so they hated those who they — that they had a listing of individuals they hated, however primarily the Jews,” Mr. Rubio mentioned. “There was no free speech in Nazi Germany. There was none.”
The Holocaust Encyclopedia backs him up, saying that the German structure assured freedom of speech and freedom of the press when the Nazis assumed energy in 1933.
“By decrees and legal guidelines, the Nazis abolished these civil rights and destroyed German democracy,” mentioned the encyclopedia. “Beginning in 1934, it was unlawful to criticize the Nazi authorities. Even telling a joke about Hitler was thought-about treachery. Individuals in Nazi Germany couldn’t say or write no matter they needed.”
The Nazis did use propaganda to demonize Jews by, for instance, publishing antisemitic photos and tropes.
These outraged by Ms. Brennan’s feedback included Mr. Vance, who referred to as the interview a “loopy trade.”
“Does the media actually assume the holocaust was brought on by free speech?” requested Mr. Vance on X.
Sen. Tom Cotton, Arkansas Republican, mentioned her feedback replicate arguments made by the left to justify squelching disfavored speech.
“The notion that *free speech* prompted the Holocaust is deeply offensive, it’s preposterous, and it’s a window into how far the left is keen to go to implement censorship,” Mr. Cotton mentioned Monday on X.
This can be a loopy trade.
Does the media actually assume the holocaust was brought on by free speech? https://t.co/EBUKx75Wfm
— JD Vance (@JDVance) February 16, 2025
CBS Information has made no public touch upon the episode, however MSNBC Vice President of Editorial Jesse Rodriguez defended Ms. Brennan.
“The Nazi regime used mass media, together with newspapers, radio, movies, and public speeches, to unfold antisemitic conspiracy theories, dehumanize Jews and incite violence,” he mentioned on X.
Others countered that free speech is required to fight such disinformation and propaganda.
“Which is strictly why free speech is so important. Governments, together with our personal, routinely concern disinformation,” conservative pollster Scott Rasmussen mentioned on X. “Free speech is required to fight it.”
Ms. Brennan’s remark additionally prompted a number of satirical responses.
Nationwide Evaluate On-line editor Philip Klein cracked on X: “If it weren’t for the famously strong 1st Modification protections in Nazi Germany the Jews may need stood an opportunity.”
