The ABC's Of Government Extortion Of Free Speech

We often hear that free speech in America is a treasured right that is protected by the Constitution of the United States. Unfortunately, free speech is under heavy attack in America, though many claims of free speech violations are founded more on the spirit of free speech and not the law. However, in the case of the Trump administration’s Federal Communications Commission, and its crackdown on what it sees as enemies of the state, we are actually witnessing government censorship by extortion.  

Let me explain. 

Free speech is about the government not prosecuting or criminalizing one’s speech, provided the speech does not incite violence. But if I want to say Trump is an asshole on my social media, my boss, if I was employed, could fire me. That speech is not protected and the company can dump me, perhaps motivated by fears of economic backlash from customers or simply because the boss is a Republican. This violates the spirit, but not the laws, of free speech.  

We also see people who lead protests or economic boycotts against speech that they don’t agree with. Some will find this to be a way to give consequences to what they say is abhorrent speech while others will say it triggers a cancellation culture to be unforgiving against milder offenses.   

With all of this, expressions of politics, religion or sexuality get thrown in the mix. There can be inconsistencies in how powers react to things. For instance, a Fox TV host recently said on air that the homeless should be killed. His employer did nothing and the FCC did zilch. But when Jimmy Kimmel commented on the killer of Charlie Kirk, he got suspended — and almost fired — by his employer of 22 years because of pressure from the FCC and threats from President Trump.  

Actually, Trump made numerous statements that Kimmel was next after he successfully got CBS to cancel Stephen Colbert’s show for 2026. This kind of control over free speech borders on the legal definition of how the government cannot use its power to silence a voice it disagrees with.  

Newsweek reported this past week: “President Donald Trump has suggested that networks regularly criticize him should potentially have their licenses taken away. "They're 97% against, they give me wholly bad publicity... I mean, they're getting a license, I would think maybe their license should be taken away" Trump told reporters on Thursday. "When you have a network and you have evening shows and all they do is hit Trump...They They're not allowed to do that."  

Even senior Republican Senator Ted Cruz spoke out against the government silencing voices, saying: "I gotta say, that's right out of 'Goodfellas.' That's right out of a mafioso coming into a bar, going, 'nice bar you have here, it'd be a shame if something happened to it,'" the Texas senator said, mimicking a mob boss's accent.  

We don’t want people to lie or commit libel. That is not protected. We don’t want speech that incites violence. That is not protected. We don’t want people endangered, such as when one wrongly yells “fire” in a crowded theatre, when one does not exist. And, though it is your right to speak your mind, do it pleasantly, respectfully, accurately, and responsibly — even if there is no legal responsibility or threat of backlash from bosses or customers. But, folks, now we are down to some unsettling facts.  

The government has pressured, by economic threat/incentive to force the hands of the media it regulates to collude to do its censoring and banning for it. It is the biggest threat since McCarthyism.   

Colbert was used as a sacrificial lamb by CBS so that its parent company gets approved for mergers and acquisitions that needed government approval. The same thing almost happened to Kimmel. Of course, Trump did not jail Kimmel, which would clearly violate the Constitution. Instead, he shows bias from his bully pulpit but does his real damage financially, behind closed doors. Censorship by extortion. Just genius evil at play.  

Additionally, the Pentagon is demanding that journalists sign a loyalty pledge to not publish information the government has not approved of, even if it is not classified. Think about that. This is known as prior restraint and is illegal. Trump has already limited which press he allows to come to press conferences, who can ask him questions, and publicly denounces all media outlets except for Fox.  

No one wants censorship by assassination — and no one should want censorship by government. No matter your views or political affiliations, support free speech now or no one will be there to speak up for you later. 

Dictators, to retain power, often use a playbook that includes censoring speech and banning protests or books. In 1934, Hitler’s Germany made it a crime to joke about or criticize its leaders. There are some sickening similarities to what happened in the early days of Hitler’s regime and Trump’s second term.  

I saw this on Instagram and it chills me: 

“Hitler didn't start with camps. He started with:

 

o    "Make Germany great again"

o    Banning books

o    Targeting the press

o    Blaming immigrants

o    Creating enemies from neighbors

o    Defunding the arts

o    Stoking fear of outsiders

o    Demonizing educators

o    Rewriting history in schools”

 

Wake up! 

Whether you like sone of Trump’s policies or see the Democrats as a disagreeable option, we can’t allow a dictator to run America and shit on our 250-year-old experiment with democracy, capitalism, and freedom. 

Let us all remember that The Bill of Rights says: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.” 

Protect free speech!

Do You Need Book Marketing Help?

Brian Feinblum, the founder of this award-winning blog, with over four million page views, can be reached at brianfeinblum@gmail.com  He is available to help authors like you to promote your story, sell your book, and grow your brand. He has over 30 years of experience in successfully helping thousands of authors in all genres. Let him be your advocate, teacher, and motivator!

 

About Brian Feinblum

This award-winning blog has generated over 4.7 million pageviews. With 5,400+ posts over the past 14 years, it was named one of the best book marketing blogs  by BookBaby  http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs  and recognized by Feedspot in 2021 and 2018 as one of the top book marketing blogs. It was also named by www.WinningWriters.com as a "best resource.”  Copyright 2025.

 

For the past three decades, Brian Feinblum has helped thousands of authors. He formed his own book publicity firm in 2020. Prior to that, for 21 years as the head of marketing for the nation’s largest book publicity firm, and as the director of publicity at two independent presses, Brian has worked with many first-time, self-published, authors of all genres, right along with best-selling authors and celebrities such as: Dr. Ruth, Mark Victor Hansen, Joseph Finder, Katherine Spurway, Neil Rackham, Harvey Mackay, Ken Blanchard, Stephen Covey, Warren Adler, Cindy Adams, Todd Duncan, Susan RoAne, John C. Maxwell, Jeff Foxworthy, Seth Godin, and Henry Winkler.

 

His writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s The Independent (https://pubspot.ibpa-online.org/article/whats-needed-to-promote-a-book-successfully). He was recently interviewed by the IBPA: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0BhO9m8jbs

 

He hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America several years ago, and has spoken at ASJA, BookCAMP, Independent Book Publishers Association Sarah Lawrence College, Nonfiction Writers Association, Cape Cod Writers Association, Willamette (Portland) Writers Association, APEX, Morgan James Publishing, and Connecticut Authors and Publishers Association. He served as a judge for the 2024 IBPA Book Awards.

 

His letters-to-the-editor have been published in The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, New York Post, NY Daily News, Newsday, The Journal News (Westchester) and The Washington Post. His first published book was The Florida Homeowner, Condo, & Co-Op Association Handbook.  It was featured in The Sun Sentinel and Miami Herald.

 

Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester with his wife, two kids, and Ferris, a black lab rescue dog, and El Chapo, a pug rescue dog.

 

You can connect with him at: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianfeinblum/ or https://www.facebook.com/brian.feinblum