(WASHINGTON)—In response to President Trump’s comments today about a video message in which federal lawmakers called on active military troops to refuse to follow unlawful orders, Hadar Harris, PEN America’s managing director of the Washington office, issued the following statement:
“This is beyond the pale. While the President has repeatedly used the bully pulpit to do just that – bully his opponents – today he has crossed a serious and dangerous red line explicitly encouraging violence against federal lawmakers. This rhetoric is an effort to chill speech and intimidate the President’s critics but it also puts people at risk. Particularly in the context of escalating political violence, PEN America condemns this in the strongest terms.”
About PEN America
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at pen.org.
Contact: Suzanne Trimel, [email protected], (201) 247-5057