Limbaugh: The First Amendment Doesn’t Give the Press ‘Immunity from Criticism’ – Breitbart News
Monday on his nationally syndicated radio show, conservative talker Rush Limbaugh said the reaction of the media to President Donald Trumps tweet labeling them an enemy of the American people was because some journalists believe the First Amendment gives them immunity from criticism.
I want to thank F. Chuck Todd of NBC for opening my eyes to this. For the longest time Ive been genuinely curious why it is that media people think that they cannot be criticized.
And they really do. They really think they can go out and research people and they can dig up dirt from anybody they want, their pasts, and they can broadcast it all over. And if somebodys life, somebodys marriage, somebodys relationship, somebodys kid gets destroyed or ruined, fine and dandy.
They can do all of that they want, but you turn it around and you start investigating your favorite journalist to find out how many illegitimate kids he or she might have had in college or how many DUIs they had, you know, or how many communist sympathizer meetings they went to, then all hell breaks loose and they start squealing like stuck pigs, You cant do that! Were journalists!
I said, Where does this come from? Its more than just hubris. I finally found out. You know what it is, Mr. Snerdley? These clowns actually believe that since they are recognized in the First Amendment that they have constitutional immunity.
Criticizing them is attacking the First Amendment. They really believe this. Criticizing them is akin to attacking the Constitution, and thats un-American, and thats why you hear these journalists say. Its un-American to criticize. Its un-American for Trump to be destabilizing. Its un-American for Trump to be going out there and trying to do damage to the media. Weve got First Amendment protection.
Well, so does the president, and the president happens to be mentioned in the Constitution before the media. The presidents mentioned in Article 2. The media doesnt make it til the First Amendment. But yet the media thinks theres nothing bad about running around and trying to attack political figures and destroying them.
This is what it is, folks. They are so far gone, they really think that they are the last line of defense between freedom and democracy and tyranny. And attacking them and challenging their reputation is no more and no less than attacking the Constitution and trying to destroy America and democracy. Thats what they think. That explains why you cant go after them.
Anyhow, lets take another brief break here.
BREAK TRANSCRIPT
Look, the only thing the First Amendment does for the press is the same thing it gives everybody else. They can say what they want to say. Thats essentially what the First Amendment says for the press like it says it for you and me. It singles them out and references them in terms of their importance, a free and unintimidated, whatever, unattached media. And nobody objects to that, but it does not grant them immunity from criticism. It does not grant them freedom to be disagreed with. It does not grant them freedom from opposition.
They seem to think that it does. And I think it all falls under the notion of how really poorly constitutional education, American history educations been for decades in this country. Not to mention the kind of poison thats injected into the young skulls full of mush populating journalism schools all over the United States. But really, folks, its the one thing that, as far as the medias concerned, justifies what theyre doing.
Now, as I say, you wont even get them to admit what theyre doing. You wont even get them to admit theyre trying to destroy Trump. They come up with some, No, no, no, no. It is the job of the media to hold powerful people accountable. Yeah. Right. Why doesnt that apply to powerful Democrats? And dont tell me that it does, because everybody knows you give em a pass. Each and every time something comes up with em, you cover for em. Its a joke.
(h/t Mediaite)
Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN
View original post here:
Limbaugh: The First Amendment Doesn't Give the Press 'Immunity from Criticism' - Breitbart News
- ABC accuses FCC of violating its First Amendment rights over its scrutiny of "The View" - CBS News - May 9th, 2026 [May 9th, 2026]
- ABC Accuses Government of Violating First Amendment - The New York Times - May 9th, 2026 [May 9th, 2026]
- Jane Fonda, Patti Smith, Rufus Wainwright to Gather in Celebration of the First Amendment in NYC - Rolling Stone - May 9th, 2026 [May 9th, 2026]
- FCC's warnings on political interviews 'chill' First Amendment, ABC says - Politico - May 9th, 2026 [May 9th, 2026]
- ABC Says FCCs Equal Time Crackdown On The View Chills Its First Amendment Rights - Deadline - May 9th, 2026 [May 9th, 2026]
- ABC accused the U.S. government of violating the First Amendment in a dispute with the FCC over The View. The networks argument is the most aggressive... - May 9th, 2026 [May 9th, 2026]
- ABC accuses government of violating First Amendment - Editor and Publisher - May 9th, 2026 [May 9th, 2026]
- ABC Accuses Trump Administration of Violating First Amendment with FCC's Pointed Attacks on The View - People.com - May 9th, 2026 [May 9th, 2026]
- Sen. Kelly First Amendment Case: Government Cannot Be Arbiter of Its Own Speech Restrictions - Cato Institute - May 9th, 2026 [May 9th, 2026]
- DCYF warning to union leader raises First Amendment concerns, ACLU says - Rhode Island Current - May 9th, 2026 [May 9th, 2026]
- ABC accuses the FCC of violating its first amendment rights - WQAD - May 9th, 2026 [May 9th, 2026]
- Local news and the First Amendment: Whats at stake - Roswell Daily Record - May 9th, 2026 [May 9th, 2026]
- Mark Kelly lawsuit: impact on First Amendment rights of retired veterans - KTAR News 92.3 FM - May 9th, 2026 [May 9th, 2026]
- ABC and Disney accuse Trump admin of violating First Amendment rights - The Verge - May 9th, 2026 [May 9th, 2026]
- ABC accuses FCC of violating the First Amendment in their attacks on 'The View': An overreach that "threatens to upend decades of settled... - May 9th, 2026 [May 9th, 2026]
- ABC alleges the FCC violated its First Amendment rights over 'The View' criticism - KBAK - May 9th, 2026 [May 9th, 2026]
- Disney-Owned ABC Accuses U.S. Government of Violating First Amendment - WDW News Today - May 9th, 2026 [May 9th, 2026]
- ADL Reports a Sharp Drop in US Antisemitic Incidents in 2025, Driven by a Steep Fall on Campuses - First Amendment Watch - May 9th, 2026 [May 9th, 2026]
- Bette Midler and Jane Fonda to Headline Protest Concert for the First Amendment in New York - TheWrap - May 9th, 2026 [May 9th, 2026]
- Rutgers University Withdraws Invite to a Graduation Speaker Over His Criticism of Israel - First Amendment Watch - May 9th, 2026 [May 9th, 2026]
- ABC alleges the FCC violated its First Amendment rights over 'The View' criticism - WKRC - May 9th, 2026 [May 9th, 2026]
- Patti Smith to take part in Rise Up, Sing Out: A Concert for the First Amendment - Everett Post - May 9th, 2026 [May 9th, 2026]
- ABC accuses FCC of chilling The View's First Amendment rights to be The View - AV Club - May 9th, 2026 [May 9th, 2026]
- James Comey Faces New Indictment With First Amendment Implications: What You Need to Know - Freedom Forum - May 5th, 2026 [May 5th, 2026]
- Supreme Court First Choice ruling crushes lawfare in win for First Amendment - Washington Examiner - May 5th, 2026 [May 5th, 2026]
- Letter: Exercising the First Amendment - The Daily News of Newburyport - May 5th, 2026 [May 5th, 2026]
- Celebrating the Power of Music and the First Amendment at Freely Fest - Freedom Forum - May 5th, 2026 [May 5th, 2026]
- Trump uses assassination attempt to justify his assault on first amendment rights to free speech - The Conversation - May 3rd, 2026 [May 3rd, 2026]
- The GUARD Act Undermines the First Amendment and Parental Choice - R Street Institute - May 3rd, 2026 [May 3rd, 2026]
- Art by Telephone, Art by Algorithm: Expression, AI, and the First Amendment - - Center for Democracy and Technology - May 3rd, 2026 [May 3rd, 2026]
- The first amendment shall prevail: Plaintiff in 2023 discrimination case speaks after judge orders St. George to pay $350K - ABC4 Utah - May 3rd, 2026 [May 3rd, 2026]
- RANDY EVANS: Reflecting on mentors, opportunity and the First Amendment - Indianola Independent Advocate - May 3rd, 2026 [May 3rd, 2026]
- Utah City Ordered to Pay $350k to Drag Performers After Losing First Amendment Fight - EDGE Media Network - May 3rd, 2026 [May 3rd, 2026]
- The Mouse vs. The White House: Disney Lawyers Up for First Amendment War Over ABCs License - Inside the Magic - May 3rd, 2026 [May 3rd, 2026]
- Analysis: What Disney is thinking as it faces a First Amendment fight with Trump - CNN - April 29th, 2026 [April 29th, 2026]
- First Amendment advocates blast the FCC's early review of ABC broadcast licenses - NBC News - April 29th, 2026 [April 29th, 2026]
- Kimmel, the First Amendment and a brewing battle with the FCC - USA Today - April 29th, 2026 [April 29th, 2026]
- Former Spokane mayor Woodward wants $10 million from the city, alleges First Amendment violations - KXLY.com - April 29th, 2026 [April 29th, 2026]
- The Taricani Visiting Journalist Series on First Amendment Rights Harrington School of Communication and Media - The University of Rhode Island - April 29th, 2026 [April 29th, 2026]
- In rare interviews, Bush hails the First Amendment and Obama says America doesn't have 'kings' - NBC News - April 23rd, 2026 [April 23rd, 2026]
- CBS Hosting Dinner Praising Trump And His Love Of The First Amendment - Techdirt. - April 23rd, 2026 [April 23rd, 2026]
- BREAKING: Street preacher threatens to sue SIUE on grounds of First Amendment rights violation - alestlelive.com - April 23rd, 2026 [April 23rd, 2026]
- First Amendment to Arkansas: You Cannot Sentence Speech on the Internet to Death by a Thousand Cuts in NetChoice Court Victory - NetChoice - April 23rd, 2026 [April 23rd, 2026]
- The GUARD Act dis-GUARDs the First Amendment and competition - Competitive Enterprise Institute - April 23rd, 2026 [April 23rd, 2026]
- Supreme Court Denies Hearing in First Amendment Cases Related to Occupational Speech - The Institute for Justice - April 23rd, 2026 [April 23rd, 2026]
- Code is functional free speech under the First Amendment: Coin Center - TradingView - April 23rd, 2026 [April 23rd, 2026]
- Texas public schools can now have Ten Commandments displays, Appeals Court ruled, but Supreme Court can still save this First Amendment disaster -... - April 23rd, 2026 [April 23rd, 2026]
- Trump admin violated First Amendment by forcing Facebook and Apple to remove ICE-trackers - Law and Crime News - April 19th, 2026 [April 19th, 2026]
- Judge sides with creators of banned ICE trackers who allege DHS and DOJ violated their First Amendment rights - Engadget - April 19th, 2026 [April 19th, 2026]
- How Originalism Broke the First Amendment - Balls and Strikes - April 19th, 2026 [April 19th, 2026]
- Trump says CNN may have committed a crime. The First Amendment says otherwise - Poynter - April 19th, 2026 [April 19th, 2026]
- Jon Prosser's last-ditch effort against Apple's lawsuit is the First Amendment - AppleInsider - April 19th, 2026 [April 19th, 2026]
- California Attorney Who Tried To Help Overturn 2020 Election Loses Law License - First Amendment Watch - April 19th, 2026 [April 19th, 2026]
- ANOTHER VIEWPOINT: First amendment lynchpin of American experiment - The Facts - April 19th, 2026 [April 19th, 2026]
- White House Correspondents Dilemma: Toasting the First Amendment as Trump Tramples Over It | Analysis - TheWrap - April 19th, 2026 [April 19th, 2026]
- Mitali Bags speech on The Constitution (One Hundred and Thirty-First Amendment) Bill, 2026 and The Delimitation Bill, 2026 - All India Trinamool... - April 19th, 2026 [April 19th, 2026]
- Occupational licensing has a First Amendment problem - The Hill - April 10th, 2026 [April 10th, 2026]
- Paterno: Dangerous Times for the First Right of the First Amendment - StateCollege.com - April 10th, 2026 [April 10th, 2026]
- When ICE enforcement and the First Amendment collide - News From The States - April 10th, 2026 [April 10th, 2026]
- Briefing Room: Advice on dealing with First Amendment auditors - Seal Beach News - April 10th, 2026 [April 10th, 2026]
- On Books, Book Reviews, and Bezos - First Amendment Watch - April 10th, 2026 [April 10th, 2026]
- Escambia County sheriff responds after heated argument between First Amendment auditor and deputy: did not reflect our core values - Yahoo - April 10th, 2026 [April 10th, 2026]
- Diddy Appeal: Lawyers Seek Release, Argue Freak-Offs Are Protected By First Amendment - HOT 97 - April 10th, 2026 [April 10th, 2026]
- Future of First Amendment: FIU to host 'Free Speech: A Florida Dialogue' with Georgetown University - WLRN - April 5th, 2026 [April 5th, 2026]
- Hollywood Stars Join Together to Defend the First Amendment - The Progressive - April 5th, 2026 [April 5th, 2026]
- Federal judge rules Trump violated First Amendment by ordering defunding of NPR and PBS - KUOW - April 5th, 2026 [April 5th, 2026]
- Lemon Pound Cake and the First Amendment - jdsupra.com - April 5th, 2026 [April 5th, 2026]
- Citing First Amendment, federal judge blocks Trump order to end funding for NPR and PBS - nbcmiami.com - April 5th, 2026 [April 5th, 2026]
- Getting to Know You: Imprisoned for Exercising her First Amendment Rights She Now Speaks Truth to Power - morningsentinel.com - April 5th, 2026 [April 5th, 2026]
- Federal judge rules Trump's public media order violated First Amendment. Here's what that means for KOSU - KOSU - April 5th, 2026 [April 5th, 2026]
- Aspen Public Radio and co-plaintiffs win federal case against Trump Administration, proclaiming a win for the First Amendment - KHOL 89.1 FM - April 5th, 2026 [April 5th, 2026]
- Federal judge cites First Amendment in blocking Trump order to end funding to NPR and PBS - Colorado Public Radio - April 5th, 2026 [April 5th, 2026]
- Opinion | The Supreme Court repels an egregious assault on the First Amendment - washingtonpost.com - April 5th, 2026 [April 5th, 2026]
- In Counseling Case, the Supreme Court Sides with the First Amendment - nationalreview.com - April 5th, 2026 [April 5th, 2026]
- REACTION: Supreme Court Affirms Therapy as SpeechA Major First Amendment Victory - Minding The Campus - April 5th, 2026 [April 5th, 2026]
- BIZARRE: The First Amendment should be banned - northernstar.info - April 5th, 2026 [April 5th, 2026]
- EDITORIAL: A victory for the First Amendment at the high court - Las Vegas Review-Journal - April 5th, 2026 [April 5th, 2026]
- TV station megamerger is a threat to First Amendment freedoms (Editorial) - Daily Camera - April 5th, 2026 [April 5th, 2026]
- Monroe County woman sues sheriff, claiming arrest over Facebook post violated First Amendment rights - WBIR - April 5th, 2026 [April 5th, 2026]
- Supreme Court overturns ban on so-called 'conversion therapy' on First Amendment grounds - Fox News - April 5th, 2026 [April 5th, 2026]