In a video released to social media, Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT) said that the cancellation of "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert" shows that the U.S. is on the "precipice of entering a censorship state."
00:00So I want to tell you why the cancellation of Stephen Colbert's show matters so much.
00:06We are on the precipice of entering a censorship state in which Donald Trump is using the powers of the federal government in order to erase criticism from the airwaves.
00:18What's happening at CBS right now is bone chilling.
00:22CBS's parent company, Paramount, is trying to get a merger approved, and they need that merger to be approved by the Trump administration.
00:31And so in a variety of different ways, Paramount is providing monetary and political favors to Donald Trump.
00:39First, they settled a totally bogus lawsuit that they would have won in a walk in court that was filed against them by Trump.
00:46They essentially just paid him $16 million personally.
00:50Then Paramount went to 60 Minutes, their flagship news program, and told them to stop criticizing Donald Trump so much.
00:58Why? Because they need this merger approved.
01:00And then finally, they have now canceled Stephen Colbert's show, knowing that Stephen Colbert was a knightly thorn in the side of Donald Trump.
01:08This is all clearly designed to get their merger approved so that their millionaire and billionaire owners and investors who are already filthy rich can become even more filthy rich.
01:20This is what happens when these massive corporations control the flow of information at the same time that you have an administration that is shameless about using the official powers given to them by the Constitution and by statute in order to compel political loyalty from the owners of those media companies.
01:43This is a really, really dangerous moment.
01:45This is a really, really dangerous moment. Stephen Colbert didn't get thrown off the air because he wasn't doing well.
01:49He was the highest rated show on TV in late night.
01:53He was canceled, very likely, because Paramount and its owners are trying to get rich off of this merger.
02:02And Donald Trump has made it clear to them and everybody else in the media space that if you want any favors from me, then you have to silence my critics on your platforms.
