(ReclaimingAmerica.net) – Republican US Senator Rand Paul has called on conservative Americans to cancel their subscriptions to DirecTV after the AT&T subsidiary dropped right-wing Newsmax TV from its cable service.
DirecTV’s axing of Newsmax came less than a year after it, and other cable providers suspended another conservative television, OAN (“One America News”), from their service.
Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky said he had already boycotted DirecTV after its censoring of OAN.
“I would cancel DIRECTV for censoring NEWSMAX but I already canceled them for canceling OANN,” the GOP US lawmaker wrote on Twitter.
“I guess DIRECTV doesn’t want conservative viewers so maybe we should all just quit their services and go elsewhere,” he added.
DirecTV, estimated to have about 13.5 million subscribers after losing 400,000 clients last quarter, has justified its censoring of Newsmax as a “cost-cutting measure,” the same argument it used after dropping OAN last spring.
Multiple conservative figures have lashed out against the AT&T subsidiary.
“If you haven’t read the book ‘1984’ by George Orwell, now might be a good time because the dystopian society laid out in that book is sort of where it feels like we’re headed in America right now,” reacted Lara Trump, the wife of former President Donald Trump’s middle son Eric.
“The fact that you have the ability to silence dissenting opinion in this country – basically take away people’s First Amendment freedoms – is a really scary place to be,” she told the Newsmax program “Rob Schmitt Tonight.”
“It is all conservatives constantly being censored, deplatformed, silenced in every way possible,” Lara Trump added.
Newsmax said it was seeking to receive a small fee from DirecTV because it was America’s fourth highest-rated cable news channel. It pointed out the provider pays “hefty license fees” to the 22 liberal news channels it carries despite many of them having low ratings.
“Their idea of cost-cutting is to cut conservative channels. We’re a highly-rated channel. We don’t cost a lot. We have a lot of supporters and viewers. Wouldn’t you want to get rid of the 99th channel that has no ratings that costs you a lot?” Newsmax CEO Christopher Ruddy commented.
“No, they don’t believe that. So, it’s an obvious example of political discrimination. That’s why we’re fighting back,” he added.
Former President Donald Trump has also urged his supporters to abandon DirecTV and other AT&T services.
“WOW. AT&T DIRECTV REMOVES NEWSMAX FROM ITS CHANNEL LINEUP. This disgusting move comes after ‘deplatforming’ OAN last year. The Radical Left seems to have taken over the mind and soul of AT&T. This is a big blow to the Republican Party, and to America itself,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“For DIRECTV to drop very popular NEWSMAX, without explanation, will not be accepted. I, for one, will be dropping all association with AT&T and DIRECTV, and I have plenty. This is just one of many reasons why we must WIN IN 2024!!!” he added.
