A Republican consultant for the Department Of Housing and Urban Development was fired on Wednesday, allegedly for his critical remarks about President Trump in an October 2016 op-ed for The Hill. Shermichael Singleton, a 26-year-old African-American conservative and HUD senior adviser, was brought into the Chief or Staff's office and relieved of his duties, according to a source familiar with the situation who spoke to CNN. Former US Presidential candidate and President Trump's nominee for HUD secretary Ben Carson had worked with Singleton and is said to be "baffled" by his firing.
The case of Shermichael Singleton
Shermichael Singleton's op-ed for The Hill in October of 2016 was surely critical of President Trump, accusing the then-Republican nominee of sinking the GOP to "a new moral low." He accused Trump of exploiting "a moment of great disparity in the Republican base" to launch a "hostile takeover" of the Republican party. Singleton's piece also criticized Trump's rhetoric on African-Americans and inner cities in the US, saying that "Trump portrays our inner cities as if they are the ailments of American society." Mr. Singleton's criticism of the President, no matter one's political views, are valid and protected by the 1st amendment of the US Constitution. The firing of Shermichael Singleton, allegedly for his criticism of President Trump, is an unprecedented attack on free speech, which should be condemned by both Republicans and Democrats in Washington.
Trump and the PC Right
While many view Donald Trump as a warrior against political correctness and a champion of free speech, the President has a track record which reveals his disdain for those who oppose him. While there is no evidence to suggest so, the possibility that the firing of Shermichael Singleton came from the White House is plausible when one reviews President Trump's record on free speech.
In 2013, then-businessman Donald J. Trump sued HBO's "Real Time" host Bill Maher for $5 million after the comedian alleged that he was the son of an orangutan. On the campaign trail, Trump banned the Washington Post from attending his rallies, and in the past, the President has called for "opening up" America's libel laws. Our President has openly declared that he is at war with the "dishonest" media, and he has shown favorability to conservative media outlets during his press conferences by neglecting to call upon "liberal" outlets such as CNN, which may ask him harder questions.
