Evan Glass: Free Speech for Me, Not for Thee

Montgomery County Executive Evan Glass wants you to believe he’s the noble defender of free speech and a crusader for the First Amendment. His latest “urgent” message? Donald Trump apparently destroyed democracy because a late-night host with the comedic chops of a DMV line—Jimmy Kimmel—was suspended from his show. Not fired. Suspended. Temporary time-out. But why let facts get in the way of a good Trump-bashing email blast?

Glass thunders that Trump “crossed a dangerous line” by pressuring ABC. Sounds dramatic, but here’s the reality: ABC caved, advertisers panicked, and Kimmel—already bleeding ratings—took a break. Glass and his left-wing buddies call it censorship. For the rest of us, it’s called consequences.

But the real kicker is how Glass pivots to praising the “brave local press” in Montgomery County. Who makes the cut on his list? Bethesda Today, WAMU, and—wait for it—My Community Media. What’s that? An independent watchdog? Nope. It’s county-operated. Evan Glass praising county-funded “media” is like North Korea bragging about its free press.

Then he tosses in the new Baltimore Banner—an outfit so fresh to Montgomery County it hasn’t even had time to sit in Beltway traffic, file a police report for a stolen Kia, or mourn the ghost town that Rockville Town Square has become. But sure, Evan, they’re the keepers of truth.

Notice who didn’t make the list: independent voices like MDBayNews, Clean Slate MoCo, ModeratelyMoco, the Montgonion, or even sharp-edged local commentators like Adam Pagnucco. You know—the folks who might actually criticize him. Because for Evan Glass, “freedom of the press” really means “free publicity for my friends.”

And this man wants to be Chief Executive of Montgomery County? If you can’t tell the truth in your newsletters, how are you going to run a county with two million people, a crime problem, traffic congestion, and a business base fleeing faster than a Nats fan in the seventh inning?

So spare us the lecture on democracy, Evan. Free speech isn’t just for Jimmy Kimmel and your media pals. If you can’t handle real scrutiny, maybe it’s time to stop pretending you’re Montgomery County’s champion of the First Amendment.