Two years ago, our President-elect Donald Trump announced what he called his “political initiative on freedom of expression”, the first lines of which read as follows:

“If we don’t have FREE SPEECH, then we simply don’t have a FREE COUNTRY. It’s that simple. If we allow this most fundamental right to perish, then the rest of our rights and freedoms will collapse one by one like dominoes. They will fall. »

Apparently some of the biggest Trump supporters in Arizona were absent from MAGA school that day. Or I didn’t get the memo. Or I haven’t read it.

Because not only do they want to silence me, they promise to spend millions to do it.

Bowyer turns a compliment into a dark promise

Now, I wouldn’t exactly say that the ultimatum posted online amounted to a price on my head. But I would be let’s call it an attack on free speech, an attempt to silence a voice in the media that disagrees with them.

Here’s how it all started.

Turning Point USA founder and president Charlie Kirk posted a clip on X, formerly Twitter, of my colleague, columnist Laurie Roberts, praising Turning Point’s efforts to turn out the MAGA vote for Trump in the recent election.

He tweeted: “The AZ Republic just paid Turning Point a real compliment: ‘We have to give credit to Turning Point and the Republicans this year, they had a very good ground game. People said they wouldn’t do it, but hey, it happened. When the hens have teeth … .”

Shortly after, Tyler Bowyer, Turning Point Action’s chief operating officer, offered his own position.

In the world of Turning Point, Bowyer most often plays Robin to Kirk’s Batman. Bowyer is also one of the false voters of the 2020 elections prosecuted by Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes.

Is free speech only for Trump supporters?

In his post, he copied the clip of Roberts making the Turning Point comment, but said: “We will consider doing nothing.” if @azcentral returns @ejmontini and publicly apologizes for not having a pro-Trump opinion columnist on staff AND hires a pro-Trump opinion columnist before January 1st. Otherwise, we raise millions to eliminate their submarines.

And he added: “No amount of compliments from @LaurieRoberts will deter us from our campaign to get people to unsubscribe from @azcentral. »

Notice: What will Lake run for next? (Because she will)

Imagine that. Free speech, which Trump called “the most fundamental right,” is apparently only allowed to those who agree with Trump. At least that’s what his most ardent acolytes in Arizona say.

Actually, I thought the MAGA guys at Turning Point might trust their followers more than that.

Turning Point has little confidence in its followers

Do they fear that the members of their flock are such gullible sheep that a humble shepherd from La République, editor of chronicles, has the power to lead them astray?

And are these same gullible sheep the bleating hearts from which Bowyer will try to cut the “millions” he spoke of collecting to get me fired?

Press freedom groups have been warning for months of potential attack on free speech if Trump were elected.

If diversity of opinion is eliminated, what’s next? Diversity of religions? Diversity, period?

Heidi Kitrosser, a law professor at Northwestern University, told the Guardian: “My main concern is that Trump is going to do exactly what he has told us he wants to do, which is he will punish his detractors. He’s going to punish people who don’t agree with his approach to things, people who criticize him…”.

I guess we’re seeing the first examples of this come to fruition in Arizona, with a Trump sycophant threatening to raise millions to silence me.

This makes me sad for our Constitution.

This makes me sad for our country.

It also makes me wonder if I… should ask for a raise.

Contact Montini at [email protected].

For more opinionated content, please subscribe.

This article was originally published on Arizona Republic: Opinion: Trump supporter promises ‘millions’ to end free speech