This is why my outlook on the future is growing dim. Politicians are threatening revenge, using the power and purse of the state, against people who embarrass them.
The only thing that would lead it to being successful is if people are convinced that the attempt itself isn't alarming, and don't act aggressively to do something about it.
The US state has successfully suppressed free expression in a number of instances (Henry Miller and Wilhelm Reich come to mind).
The US isn't special as a democracy and it's been pretty shoddy at quite a number of times, though now isn't necessarily the worst moment. The constitution is only strong on free speech and freedom of the press if people defend it.
Edit: It's especially notable that the degree that governments in the US are run as personal fief where officials lash out at anyone who inconveniences them (as is happening here), is strongly related to how far the government is from urban centers.
Chattel slavery, the Civil War, the Trail of Tears, the internment of Japanese Americans... need I go on? Anybody who thinks America might be in a worse state now than ever before needs a serious reality check.
I do believe the 2nd President successfully jailed journalists for this for years, leading to the Supreme Court deciding to you know, do something about it.
Things are only as strong as the political will believes they are strong. There was a period in the 1800s where the Supreme Court was ignored for example. The Supreme Court of the late 1700s did want to protect the 1st Amendment and they did win the political battle vs Adams. But under different circumstances, a different result could have very much happened.
