Chilling effect? Trump camp’s comment about Reid raises concern

By Las Vegas Sun Staff (contact)

Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2016 | 2 a.m.

He told hate-mongers to “Stop it,” vowed to be a leader for all Americans and tempered his call to have Hillary Clinton investigated and jailed.

But before you buy into the notion that Donald Trump has become more judicious and restrained since his election victory, consider something his adviser Kellyanne Conway said on Sunday.

The same day Trump appeared on “60 Minutes” and tried to assure Americans they had nothing to fear from him, Conway said Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid should be “very careful” in criticizing Donald Trump.

Conway deflected when asked whether she was warning Reid that he could face legal action, but if you read her comment to mean just that, you’re not alone.

And what did Reid say that was so awful?

Nothing. He merely offered his opinion that Trump’s victory “emboldened the forces of hate and bigotry in America.”

That being the case, it was alarming to hear Conway suggesting the administration might pursue action against Reid. If the president-elect considers it a punishable offense for any political opponent to criticize him, even if the comments are not remotely libelous or threatening, that’s a serious problem that extends well beyond Reid.

After all, how many other Americans might also be in harm’s way? The Nevada senator certainly isn’t the only person to suggest Trump’s rise has fueled anti-immigrant sentiment and religious intolerance.

Plus, there’s more than an ounce of truth in Reid’s statement. When the Ku Klux Klan plans a victory parade in your honor, as the group has done in North Carolina, you maybe haven’t done something right.

Has Reid been aggressive in his criticism? Most certainly. He said Trump’s victory was being celebrated by Moscow and ISIS, and called the president-elect “a sexual predator who lost the popular vote and fueled his campaign with bigotry and hate.”

But even those who would criticize Reid for not supporting the new president would have to admit that there’s nothing injurious about his remarks. Merely irritating or offending someone, even the nation's leader, is a far cry from threatening them or yelling fire in a crowd.

Plus, this isn’t an isolated incident. Before the election, he repeatedly vowed to jail Clinton, even though the FBI had found no evidence that she’d committed a crime.

Don't forget, too, that Trump has already plotted an attack on freedom of expression, through a call to alter libel laws to make it easier to successfully sue media companies.

Of course, Trump could contend Conway was out of line, or turn down the heat in his threats against Reid, like he's done with Clinton.

But Sunday’s events gave Americans every right to be concerned about Trump, regardless of how different he might have appeared on “60 Minutes” versus his unhinged moments during the campaign.