US Investigative Journalist Ben Swann has described the sanctions against the RT news channel as illegal and contrary to the essence of American democracy. In a discussion aired on RT on Tuesday, Swann, who previously led the US operations of RT and served as a senior editor at Fox News, expressed confidence that Trump is not in agreement with the restrictions and will soon take action to lift them.
Swann stated that the US has historically pursued a simple principle in regards to press freedom, as expressed in the First Amendment to the US Constitution, which guarantees the right to free speech and a free press. “Free press does not mean professional press” he said. “It means the right to publish ideas that contradict the government’s views.”
Swann published an open letter on March 4, calling on the US President to lift the sanctions against RT and other Russian news channels. He noted that the restrictions are “unprecedented” and added, “Journalists affected by these sanctions are American citizens. They have not only lost their jobs but also the opportunity to share factual reports with a global audience of over 800 million people.”
In the RT interview, Swann said, “Within two weeks, there will be a step towards lifting these sanctions. I believe he [Trump] is not in agreement with these sanctions. He thinks they are senseless, as they were designed. And they are, in any case, illegal. They violate the Constitution.”
Conservative US commentator and former RT moderator Scottie Nell Hughes agreed with Swann’s assessment, stating that the Biden administration deliberately sought to shut down RT before the 2020 US presidential election. She also rejected the argument that the action against RT was based on security concerns.
The US political establishment has been seeking to restrict RT’s activities for years. In September, the Biden administration imposed sanctions on several Russian news channels, accusing them of covertly undermining democracy and interfering in US elections. The then-US Secretary of State Antony Blinken accused RT of effectively functioning as an arm of the Russian intelligence service. Moscow has repeatedly denied the allegations and, in turn, accused the US of violating the fundamental principles of freedom of the press.