Chung Condemns Attack on Free Speech

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – State Rep. Sharon Chung, D-Bloomington, recently spoke on the House floor in support of a resolution condemning the Trump administration’s attack on free speech and the press.

“When our president is hand picking what news we can access, that’s the definition of corruption. The First Amendment protects all speech, not just endorsements of Trump and the Republican Party. We cannot allow our freedom of speech to be taken from us— it’s unconstitutional at its foundation,” said Chung

The resolution highlights Jimmy Kimmel’s brief termination and Stephen Colbert’s cancellation as nationwide examples of the Trump Administration limiting free speech. Trump-appointed FCC chair Brendon Carr, who threatened ABC and CBS, leading to Kimmel’s suspension and Colbert’s cancellation. This impact for journalists who fail to comply with Trump’s ideology will directly hurt local press, potentially causing loss of jobs and loss of access to important information.

“In my district, we rely on public media for everything from weather updates to neighborhood events,” said Chung. “NPR and AP News are vital to the information economy in Central Illinois, and by silencing free speech and press, we are left in the dark. Without local press, seniors may not know when flu shots are available or how to get their COVID booster. Families will be without emergency notifications like school closings or tornado warnings.”