UN Special Rapporteur Criticizes ‘Trump Effect’ on Freedom of Speech Worldwide

David Kaye, the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of opinion and expression, accused the White House of “attacking the media” on Monday during a conversation with journalists and spoke of the “negative Trump effect” on the status of press freedom worldwide.

According to the British newspaper The Guardian, Mr. Kaye, speaking at the end of his six-year mandate, also expressed hope that with the end of the Trump administration in America, the “attacks” on American journalists would also come to an end.

David Kaye, speaking with journalists in Geneva, accused Donald Trump of “vilifying and discrediting” the media and freedom of expression.

The US President has repeatedly attacked the press and media, particularly in the United States, since the beginning of his presidency, saying they publish “fake news and lies.”

The Guardian, in turn, refers to a statement by a White House spokesperson who, in response to the Reuters news agency, said: “No government has had the transparency of President Trump’s administration, and we expect news to be fair and accurate.”

Source: Radio Farda