MS NOW anchor Rachel Maddow shared her thoughts on Donald Trump 's press ban on Saturday (September 19), saying the president is "playing the hits" in hopes of uniting his support base.
Appearing on her colleague Peter Alexander's State of Play program on Saturday, Maddow was asked whether Trump was trying to "replicate" the authoritarian ruling of Xi Jinping ahead of the Chinese president's visit to the U.S. this week.
"I mean, it's one of the things that he said he admires about authoritarian leaders in China and elsewhere, is the fact that they rule with an iron fist," Maddow said, per Mediaite .
Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Trump announced on Friday (September 18) that he was banning CNN, MS NOW, and Politico from the White House. In a Truth Social post, he warned, "Other Fake News Media Outlets to follow."
Maddow said that Trump has openly professed his admiration for China's authoritarian leadership, which doesn't allow criticism or dissent. "So I take him at his word," she stated. "I think he likes that idea. I think he wishes he could do more."
However, the veteran news reporter said that the president of the United States is a "temporary" positio...