Marcelo criticizes Trump and warns of "sliding from democracy to dictatorship"

Head of State Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa today criticized US President Donald Trump for the White House's rules for the media and warned of "the slide from democracy to dictatorship".

The President of the Republic was speaking at the Casa da Imprensa, in Lisbon, at the opening session of a debate on the 1975 Press Law, published 50 years ago, which enshrined the prohibition of any form of censorship.

"Not knowing what a dictatorship is, we do not understand the risk of dictatorship and we do not understand the risk of democracies sliding into dictatorships. And yet, today, all we have to do is turn on the television – I am not talking about social media – to see democracy sliding into dictatorship in the strongest democratic countries," he said.

Referring to Donald Trump, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa added: "When the President of the oldest and most reputedly strong democracy has just announced today which journalists are authorized to ask him questions at press conferences, at meetings, at the center of power, that says it all."

"It's all said," he repeated.

Marcelo criticized the White House's new rules for the media, commenting that "all that's missing is for the country's chief executive to ask the questions" himself, and then "give the answers he wants to give."

According to Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, "from this moment on, no one, truly respecting ethical codes, feels comfortable participating in a press conference, in a meeting with those responsible for the power of a democracy, knowing that only he, and not the others in the room, are authorized to ask questions".

"Journalists are now invisible. They may be there, but they are just physical figures. They are not there," he said. The White House announced that it will now decide which journalists can ask questions to US President Donald Trump, a task that until now was exclusively the responsibility of the association of correspondents assigned to the presidential residence.

At the end of the opening session of this debate on the 1975 Press Law, promoted by the 50th Anniversary Commemorative Commission of the 25th of April, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa was questioned by the media about the criticisms he has made of Donald Trump.

On Tuesday, in response to journalists at the Belém Palace, the head of state questioned whether the United States of America is an "ally or former ally", considering that "it is never clear, with this new administration", and that it is also necessary to "understand whether NATO is to be taken seriously or not".

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa responded that he will develop this theme in a speech he will make on Thursday during the dinner he will offer to the French President, Emmanuel Macron, at the Palácio Nacional da Ajuda, during his state visit to Portugal.

"Tomorrow I will explain in detail, and with President Macron there, who has been following this and has played an important role, how I see relations between the United States and Europe, in line with what I have touched on again today," he said.

Head of State Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa today criticized US President Donald Trump for the White House's rules for the media and warned of "the slide from democracy to dictatorship".

The President of the Republic was speaking at the Casa da Imprensa, in Lisbon, at the opening session of a debate on the 1975 Press Law, published 50 years ago, which enshrined the prohibition of any form of censorship.

"Not knowing what a dictatorship is, we do not understand the risk of dictatorship and we do not understand the risk of democracies sliding into dictatorships. And yet, today, all we have to do is turn on the television – I am not talking about social media – to see democracy sliding into dictatorship in the strongest democratic countries," he said.

Referring to Donald Trump, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa added: "When the President of the oldest and most reputedly strong democracy has just announced today which journalists are authorized to ask him questions at press conferences, at meetings, at the center of power, that says it all."

"It's all said," he repeated.

Marcelo criticized the White House's new rules for the media, commenting that "all that's missing is for the country's chief executive to ask the questions" himself, and then "give the answers he wants to give."

According to Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, "from this moment on, no one, truly respecting ethical codes, feels comfortable participating in a press conference, in a meeting with those responsible for the power of a democracy, knowing that only he, and not the others in the room, are authorized to ask questions".

"Journalists are now invisible. They may be there, but they are just physical figures. They are not there," he said. The White House announced that it will now decide which journalists can ask questions to US President Donald Trump, a task that until now was exclusively the responsibility of the association of correspondents assigned to the presidential residence.

At the end of the opening session of this debate on the 1975 Press Law, promoted by the 50th Anniversary Commemorative Commission of the 25th of April, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa was questioned by the media about the criticisms he has made of Donald Trump.

On Tuesday, in response to journalists at the Belém Palace, the head of state questioned whether the United States of America is an "ally or former ally", considering that "it is never clear, with this new administration", and that it is also necessary to "understand whether NATO is to be taken seriously or not".

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa responded that he will develop this theme in a speech he will make on Thursday during the dinner he will offer to the French President, Emmanuel Macron, at the Palácio Nacional da Ajuda, during his state visit to Portugal.

"Tomorrow I will explain in detail, and with President Macron there, who has been following this and has played an important role, how I see relations between the United States and Europe, in line with what I have touched on again today," he said.

Head of State Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa today criticized US President Donald Trump for the White House's rules for the media and warned of "the slide from democracy to dictatorship".

The President of the Republic was speaking at the Casa da Imprensa, in Lisbon, at the opening session of a debate on the 1975 Press Law, published 50 years ago, which enshrined the prohibition of any form of censorship.

"Not knowing what a dictatorship is, we do not understand the risk of dictatorship and we do not understand the risk of democracies sliding into dictatorships. And yet, today, all we have to do is turn on the television – I am not talking about social media – to see democracy sliding into dictatorship in the strongest democratic countries," he said.

Referring to Donald Trump, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa added: "When the President of the oldest and most reputedly strong democracy has just announced today which journalists are authorized to ask him questions at press conferences, at meetings, at the center of power, that says it all."

"It's all said," he repeated.

Marcelo criticized the White House's new rules for the media, commenting that "all that's missing is for the country's chief executive to ask the questions" himself, and then "give the answers he wants to give."

According to Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, "from this moment on, no one, truly respecting ethical codes, feels comfortable participating in a press conference, in a meeting with those responsible for the power of a democracy, knowing that only he, and not the others in the room, are authorized to ask questions".

"Journalists are now invisible. They may be there, but they are just physical figures. They are not there," he said. The White House announced that it will now decide which journalists can ask questions to US President Donald Trump, a task that until now was exclusively the responsibility of the association of correspondents assigned to the presidential residence.

At the end of the opening session of this debate on the 1975 Press Law, promoted by the 50th Anniversary Commemorative Commission of the 25th of April, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa was questioned by the media about the criticisms he has made of Donald Trump.

On Tuesday, in response to journalists at the Belém Palace, the head of state questioned whether the United States of America is an "ally or former ally", considering that "it is never clear, with this new administration", and that it is also necessary to "understand whether NATO is to be taken seriously or not".

Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa responded that he will develop this theme in a speech he will make on Thursday during the dinner he will offer to the French President, Emmanuel Macron, at the Palácio Nacional da Ajuda, during his state visit to Portugal.

"Tomorrow I will explain in detail, and with President Macron there, who has been following this and has played an important role, how I see relations between the United States and Europe, in line with what I have touched on again today," he said.