Trump's 'MAGA shock troops' are laying groundwork for revenge on the media: analyst

Donald Trump's "MAGA shock troops" are signaling that if he's elected in 2024, he will be punishing his enemies, including many of the journalists who reported on him for the past 8 years — an endeavor that will be "Job No. 1," Robin Abcarian writes in The Los Angeles Times.

Abcarian says that demonizing the press is a tactic that Trump has long employed, as evidenced by past comments where he's said the press is “truly the enemy of the people" and that journalists are “scum” and “the absolute worst.” Trump has also said he wants to weaken the country's libel laws to make it easier to sue the press — with the support of some Supreme Court justices.

"This country’s political system is flawed, no doubt about it. A presidential candidate can win the popular vote in a landslide and still lose the White House," Abcarian writes.

"Scheming partisans can draw maps designed to keep them in power endlessly and pass laws designed to depress voter turnout to their benefit. But haven’t we always believed, deep in our bones, that the American free press could never be silenced, that the 1st Amendment protects us from government censorship, and that a well-functioning Fourth Estate really is what keeps democracy safe?"

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Abcarian even goes so far as to predict that Trump will put reporters in jail "for telling the truth or for giving their opinions," and contends that Trump and his allies have already laid the groundwork for jailing reporters, citing the example of former Trump administration member Kash Patel, who went on Steve Bannon's podcast earlier this month and vowed to hunt down the "conspirators — not just in government but in the media."

Then there's "MAGA Republican attorney" Mike Davis, who promised to “rain hell” on Washington if Trump gives him a Cabinet appointment and jail and deport MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan.

Abcarian then cites "neoconservative scholar" Robert Kagan, who left the Republican Party over Trump, who predicted what would happen if Trump is elected in 2024.

“Think of the power of a man who gets himself elected president despite indictments, courtroom appearances and perhaps even conviction,” Kagan wrote. “Would he even obey a directive of the Supreme Court? Or would he instead ask how many armored divisions the chief justice has?”

Read the full op-ed over at The Los Angeles Times.