Free Speech Under Siege: David Frum Warns of State Power Over Media
JUDJ-Prepared Summary from September 17, 2025 | America’s Democracy: Where Do We Go From Here? The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the speaker.
In a recent America at a Crossroads discussion, David Frum—political commentator, former speechwriter for President George W. Bush, and senior editor at The Atlantic—examined escalating threats to free expression in the United States. The conversation focused on the distinction between social backlash and direct government coercion, using recent controversies in broadcast media to illuminate how state power can be wielded to chill dissent and bend coverage to political ends.
This Isn’t “Cancel Culture”—It’s State Coercion
Frum urged audiences to retire the term “cancel culture” for situations where the government pressures media companies. “Cancel culture,” he explained, describes informal social sanctions—boycotts, criticism, or institutional decisions absent state involvement. The Kimmel episode, by contrast, features alleged directives about what could and could not be said on air, backed by threats of government retaliation. That crosses a constitutional line. It’s not cultural pressure; it’s political power trained on speech.
Government Scripts and a First Amendment Stress Test
At the core of Frum’s warning is the idea of a “government script”—the state signaling what broadcasters must say and what they must not. He argued that when regulators or administration officials threaten consequences for noncompliance, the First Amendment is not being debated; it’s being tested. He called the dynamic more alarming than familiar historical comparisons, framing it as a direct assault on editorial independence and, by extension, on the public’s right to receive unfiltered information.
Tragedy as Pretext: The Charlie Kirk Case
Frum described how the assassination of Charlie Kirk—a horrific crime that should elicit grief and sober reporting—has been used to intimidate critics and target political opponents’ fundraising infrastructure. He linked the rhetoric around this tragedy to a broader strategy: leveraging shock events to justify pressure on media and to disrupt lawful mechanisms of political competition, such as small-dollar fundraising platforms. The point, he said, is not merely to influence content—but to narrow the opposition’s capacity to organize.
Courts, Immunity, and Institutional Drift
Can the courts be counted on to referee these conflicts? Frum was skeptical. He cited the Supreme Court’s recent embrace of an expansive, novel theory of presidential criminal immunity as evidence that traditional guardrails may not function as expected in a crisis. While specific media disputes might not reach the high court, he noted, the ambient signal is chilling: if institutions bend to serve political ends, speech protection becomes precarious.
What Individuals Can Do: Speak, Organize, Persist
Frum’s prescription was both bracing and practical: speak. Don’t self-censor out of fear that someone is always watching. Meet repression with a wider chorus of informed voices. He also emphasized protecting the lifeblood of democratic competition—fundraising and civic organizing—so that dissent is not merely legal but also logistically possible. The defense of free speech, he argued, isn’t a spectator sport; it’s a daily practice of refusing intimidation, telling the truth plainly, and supporting the infrastructure that keeps pluralistic debate alive.
A Clear Choice
The takeaway from Frum’s analysis is stark: the line between social consequences for speech and state punishment of speech is bright—and must remain so. When government leans on media to enforce a narrative, it threatens more than any one host or show; it threatens the public sphere itself. Preserving that sphere requires vigilance from institutions—and courage from individuals—to ensure that democratic competition and free expression endure.
About America at a Crossroads
Since April 2020, America at a Crossroads has produced weekly virtual programs on topics related to the preservation of our democracy, voting rights, freedom of the press, and a wide array of civil rights, including abortion rights, free speech, and free press. America at a Crossroads is a project of Jews United for Democracy & Justice.