Retired Navy admiral: Trump’s remark about media ‘the greatest threat to democracy’

Will McRaven, a retired Navy admiral and University of Texas system chancellor, is pushing back on President Trump’s description of the media as “the enemy of the American people.”

Speaking to the communications college at the University of Texas, Austin, on Tuesday, McRaven praised the work of the press as necessary to hold others accountable, according to reports.

“We must challenge this statement and this sentiment that the news media is the enemy of the American people,” McRaven said. “This sentiment may be the greatest threat to democracy in my lifetime.”

{mosads}Last week, Trump tweeted that the “FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @CNN, @NBCNews and many more) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American people! SICK!”

The FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @NBCNews, @ABC, @CBS, @CNN) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 17, 2017

McRaven, who advised former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama and oversaw the mission that killed Osama bin Laden, has previously pushed back against Trump’s ideas, most recently releasing a statement opposing his immigration order.

“I believe that the talent, energy, and ideas flowing into the United States of America — and to UT System institutions — from countries around the world are among our greatest strengths,” McRaven said in a statement last month. “The men and women who show up at our shores and our doors — ready to study, work, and participate — make us stronger, smarter, more competitive, and more attuned to the rest of the globe.”

“I would hope that my commitment to our nation’s security cannot be questioned,” he added. “I stand behind our nation’s efforts to ensure all our citizens are free from the threat that terrorism can bring to our shores.”