Elisabeth Bumiller: ‘Trump Has Had a Very, Very Corrosive Effect on the Freedom of Press’

EXCERPT:

BUMILLER: “Well, what was interesting was how much — how much we all said the same thing, there were a lot of people from different countries talking about freedom of the press in Europe and in Asia and in Africa. Donald Trump has had a very, very corrosive effect on the freedom of press. I used to say in the beginning, in 2017, that this was just rhetoric, but the fact is that he’s called us the enemy of the people and the term 'fake news' has been repeated by 50 presidents, prime ministers and other national leaders around the world and it’s become — it’s become a calling card for authoritarians. So I do think there’s been a very corrosive effect, but I would like to say that I think, at least in this country, our system — the court — the system has held in terms of democracy. The press has done its job. The courts, the separation of the courts have done their job, so I’m not as, you know, negative and pessimistic as some of my colleagues internationally.”