Writers Spike Lee, Adam McKay, and approximately 2,300 other WGA members have penned a letter denouncing President Trump's perceived 'authoritarian' attack on freedom of speech.
The Writers Guild of America (WGA) has penned a strongly worded open letter, accusing the Trump administration of an "unprecedented, authoritarian assault" on the First Amendment and independent media[^1][^3]. Over 2,300 WGA members have signed the letter, expressing deep concern over what they see as a direct assault on free speech rights and press independence.
The letter highlights a series of actions taken by the Trump administration that it deems to be attacks on the free press. These include filing baseless lawsuits against news organizations, retaliating against publications for factual reporting, and threatening broadcasters' licenses[^3]. The WGA also points to Trump's calls to cancel news and entertainment shows critical of him, such as late-night programs and "The View."
The letter further condemns the involvement of federal government entities in these attacks. Congressional Republicans' defunding of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) is cited as an attempt to silence PBS and NPR[^3]. Similarly, the FCC, led by Trump-appointed chairman Brendan Carr, conditioned its approval of the Skydance-Paramount merger on assurances that CBS would make changes to its journalism and entertainment programming[^3].
In their statement, the WGA underscores their role in a healthy democracy and warns that these authoritarian pressures threaten the independence of television, movies, books, and news. They assert, "We don’t have a king, we have a president. And the president doesn’t get to pick what’s on television, in movie theaters, on stage, on our bookshelves, or in the news."[^2][^3]
The letter urges elected representatives and industry leaders to resist the government's attempts to restrict stories and jokes. It also encourages everyone to raise their voice in support of a free and democratic future. The WGA believes that free speech is a fundamental right in the United States, and it's the president's role to uphold this right, not to restrict it.
The CPB last week announced it is shutting down in the wake of the cancellation of federal funding for public media. The WGA's open letter serves as a call to action, reminding us that the period of government attacks on free speech will not last forever, and that history will remember those who had the courage to speak out.
[^1]: Link to the full letter [^2]: Link to original article 1 [^3]: Link to original article 2 [^4]: Link to original article 3 [^5]: Link to original article 4
Politics and entertainment are not immune to the Trump administration's perceived attacks on free speech and press independence, as the WGA's open letter alleges, citing instances such as Trump's calls to cancel critical shows, federal government entities' attempts to restrict programming, and the cancellation of federal funding for public media. The WGA asserts that every American has a fundamental right to free speech, and it's the president's role to uphold this right, not restrict it.
