Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro told NBC News’ Meet the Press in an interview that President Trump’s suggestion that broadcasters potentially lose their licenses for airing perceived attacks on him is “without question” an effort to stifle dissent.
Threats on free speech mean “we are all less safe, we are all less free,” Shapiro told NBC’s Kristen Welker in an interview that aired on Sunday. “And if you attack someone today because of a particular political viewpoint, what’s to say you’re not going to attack someone tomorrow, silence someone tomorrow because of what they look like, how they pray, who they love? It’s a really dangerous and slippery slope.”
Asked for his reaction when he heard that ABC had suspended comedian Jimmy Kimmel’s late night show, Shapiro, a Democrat, said: “Fear. Just worry for our country.”
To see freedom of expression, freedom of speech “being undermined by the long arm of the federal government is extremely dangerous,” Shapiro said.
The Pennsylvania governor’s residence was firebombed in April while Shapiro and his family were inside sleeping. Pennsylvania could have “slipped into a dark place” after that, Shapiro told NBC. “Instead, what I saw was a whole lot of light, a whole lot of people from all different walks of life, all different faiths, all different backgrounds, all different parties coming together to not just support me and my family, but to support our commonwealth.”
Shapiro’s interview aired as many high profile Republicans and President Trump himself were headed to the funeral conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot this month during an appearance at Utah Valley University.
“We’ve got to find our better angels. We’ve got to universally condemn political violence no matter where it is, whether it’s against Charlie Kirk or someone else, it is not okay. We all have to work together to condemn it,” Shapiro told NBC.