Jane Fonda calls on Americans to stand up for free speech

9.85M subscribers

views

Jun 9, 2026 #janefonda #trump #freespeech

The legendary actress and activist joins "Morning Joe" to talk about her "Rise Up, Sing Out" event and concerns about threats to free speech under President Trump. MS NOW: My Source for News, Opinion, and the World. » Subscribe to MS NOW:

/ @msnow » Subscribe to MS NOW’s We the People Newsletter for exclusive content from your favorite MS NOW anchors. Sign up now for free at https://ms.now/joinus MS NOW is the go-to destination for domestic and international breaking news, and best-in-class opinion journalism. For more context and news coverage of the most important stories of our day click here: https://www.ms.now/ #janefonda #trump #freespeech

Transcript

Follow along using the transcript.

I was in the Soviet Union in the 197 and I witnessed an outdoor exhibit of impressionist art being bulldozed

9 seconds

because the Soviets considered it, what did they call it? degenerate art.

16 seconds

This is the direction that we're headed in if we don't wake up and stop what is happening.

21 seconds

The Committee for the First Amendment felt it was time to expose the range and depth of the attacks on the bedrock

30 seconds

of our democracy, the First Amendment, and encourage you, the press, and American citizens in general,

40 seconds

to understand that it's time to break your silence and stand tall against authoritarianism that is taking

47 seconds

a hold and consolidating very THAT WAS ACADEMY AWARD-WINNING

55 seconds

ACTRESS AND ACTIVIST JANE FONDA SPEAKING AT A RALLY OUTSIDE THE JOHN F. KENNEDY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS IN WASHINGTON, D .C.

1 minute, 5 seconds

AND SHE IS A GROWING THREATS TO FREE EXPRESSION IN THE ARTS UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMP.

1 minute, 11 seconds

NOW, SHE IS HELPING LEAD A NEW EFFORT TO DEFEND THE First Amendment through a star-studded benefit concert called Rise Up, Sing Out.

1 minute, 20 seconds

The event taking place on Sunday in New York City will bring together artists, activists, advocates to TO RAISE AWARENESS

1 minute, 27 seconds

ABOUT FREE SPEECH AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT WITH PERFORMANCES AND APPEARANCES BY JANE FONDA HERSELF, BETT MIDDLER,

1 minute, 35 seconds

PATTY SMITH, RUFUS WAYNEWRIGHT, JULIA ROBERTS AND MANY, MANY more.

1 minute, 40 seconds

The legendary Jane Fonda joins us now here on set to talk about the concert, the mission behind it and why she believes Americans cannot afford to sit this one out.

1 minute, 53 seconds

Also with us for the conversation, MSNOW contributor Huma Abedin, who's vice chair of the Forbes and Know Your Value 3050 Summit, which we will have news on soon.

2 minutes, 1 second

But first, Jane, welcome back to Morning Joe. It's so good to have you. Thank you. It's good to be here.

2 minutes, 8 seconds

It's actually the first time I've ever been on your show. We're such fans, Joe and I. We're major fans. And I of you. Thank you. So tell us about Rise Up, Sing Out.

2 minutes, 15 seconds

What is the goal of the event? And COUNTRY AND WHY IS NOW THE TIME FOR IT?

2 minutes, 20 seconds

WELL, NOW IS THE TIME FOR US TO NOT JUST SIT AND COMPLAIN. THINGS ARE REALLY BAD.

2 minutes, 25 seconds

WE HAVE TO SPEAK WE HAVE TO MAKE OUR GOVERNMENT VOICES HEARD, THIS IS THE TIME.

2 minutes, 29 seconds

SO, IT'S KIND OF A FIRST BIG CULTURAL EVENT LEADING INTO THE 250TH SERIES OF celebrations and there's just too much going on.

2 minutes, 42 seconds

We had to we had to do something.

2 minutes, 44 seconds

There's some election books are being yeah besides the election books are being banned.

2 minutes, 48 seconds

Your television series THEY'RE BEING TOLD, NO, YOU CAN'T HAVE THAT BLACK ACTRESS DO THAT. NO, NO, YOU CAN'T HAVE THAT LGBT. IT'S REALLY bad.

2 minutes, 56 seconds

And it's happening to books, to journalism, as you know well, to museums are being defunded.

3 minutes, 5 seconds

Arts councils are being defunded.

3 minutes, 7 seconds

You know, there's big media mergers that are being, that are threatened that will, like a pancake,

3 minutes, 15 seconds

it'll take an iron and just flatten our cultural discourse.

3 minutes, 19 seconds

Jane, you have been warning us for a while now that America I THINK AMERICA IS MOVING IN A DANGEROUS DIRECTION.

3 minutes, 25 seconds

WHAT CONCERNS YOU THE MOST IN THIS CURRENT CLIMATE ABOUT FREE EXPRESSION UNDER PRESIDENT TRUMP.

3 minutes, 32 seconds

IT'S THE BEDROCK OF THE DEMOCRACY AND IT'S BEING TAKEN AWAY FROM US. AND, YOU KNOW, IT'S NO SURPRISE. OUR DEMOCRATIC GUARD RAILS ARE BEING TAKEN AWAY.

3 minutes, 42 seconds

THE EXPERTS ON DEMOCRACY SAY THAT THEY

4 minutes, 3 seconds

I WANT TO ASK SINCE YOU'VE BEEN AN ACTIVIST FOR MORE THAN FIVE DECADES, HOW DOES THIS MOMENT COMPARE TO

4 minutes, 10 seconds

OTHER PERIODS OF DIVISION THAT YOU'VE EXPERIENCED YOURSELF, THAT YOU'VE BEEN IN? I PERSONALLY HAVE.

4 minutes, 16 seconds

BECAUSE THE COMMITTEE FOR THE FIRST AMENDMENT EXISTED AND IT WAS CREATED IN 1947 AGAINST the House on American Activities Committee, and then later against Joe McCarthy.

4 minutes, 27 seconds

What's happening now has never happened before in this country to white people.

4 minutes, 30 seconds

Black people have EXPERIENCED AUTHORITARIANISM OBVIOUSLY, BUT OUR FIRST AMENDMENTS ARE BEING DESTROYED.

4 minutes, 37 seconds

OUR VOTING RIGHTS ARE BEING TAKEN AWAY.

4 minutes, 41 seconds

PEOPLE ARE BEING ARRESTED AND and deported without due cause, you know, and on and on and on. This is not what happens in a democracy, right?

4 minutes, 51 seconds

Well, I know your value, Jane.

4 minutes, 53 seconds

We spend a lot of time talking about raising your voice, speaking up, even when it feels uncomfortable or scary. What do you tell young people?

5 minutes, 1 second

What do you tell creatives when they come to you saying they want to say something, they want to be brave, but they're scared about the ramifications?

5 minutes, 10 seconds

Well, it's one of the reasons that we started the committee for the First Amendment. This is the entertainment industry writ large.

5 minutes, 17 seconds

It's not unlike the first one, it's not just the famous directors, writers, stars and so forth. It's the union members, it's the rank and file.

5 minutes, 27 seconds

And if we're all together unified, we're safer.

5 minutes, 30 seconds

We can, you know, if they come for one of us, they come for all of us.

5 minutes, 33 seconds

It's like what happened with Jimmy I DON'T THINK IT'S GOING TO PUT UP WITH THIS, WE'RE GOING TO CANCEL OUR SUBSCRIPTIONS, WOW, HE WAS PUT BACK.

5 minutes, 42 seconds

WE HAVE TO GO FOR THEIR POCKETBOOKS. THAT'S A GREAT POINT.

5 minutes, 45 seconds

IN THE FIRST TRUMP TERM I THINK IT WAS A LITTLE BIT OF THE CIVIC ENGAGEMENT AND PROTESTS. THE EARLY MONTHS OF THIS ONE WAS NOT.

5 minutes, 50 seconds

THERE WAS A SENSE OF PEOPLE WERE NUMBED, THEY WERE DEFEATED. THEY WEREN'T. THAT HAS NOW TURNED.

5 minutes, 54 seconds

THERE IS PROTESTS LIKE YOU WE ARE SEEING NO KINGS RALLIES AND THE LIKE.

6 minutes, 1 second

DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU'RE TAPPING INTO AN ENERGY HERE THAT NOW IT FEELS LIKE IT CAN EXPRESS ITSELF AGAIN? THAT'S THAT'S RIGHT. THE ZEITGEIST IS CHANGING. YOU CAN FEEL IT.

6 minutes, 9 seconds

I MEAN, WE AS YOU HAD ON THE SHOW JUST NOW, WE DID AN EVENT IN FRONT OF THE KENNEDY

6 minutes, 16 seconds

center when Trump's name was, was, Trump's name is coming off these things now. The zeitgeist is changing.

6 minutes, 23 seconds

People are, and you can see it in the voting.

6 minutes, 28 seconds

You've cited a, a, a, I'M GOING TO ASK YOU WHICH IS WORSE. WHAT'S A BIGGER THREAT?

6 minutes, 36 seconds

THE THREAT POSED BY THE GOVERNMENT, UNDER DONALD TRUMP OR UNDER ANY GOVERNMENT, OR CORPORATE?

6 minutes, 41 seconds

WELL, IT'S THE IT'S SAG, THE PROBLEM IS THOSE TWO THINGS HAVE COME TOGETHER. WE'VE HAD A CORPORATE TAKE OVER.

6 minutes, 49 seconds

I MEAN, ALL THOSE PEOPLE THAT ARE NOW IN CHARGE OF OUR GOVERNMENT HAVE BEEN BOUGHT AND PAID FOR, YOU KNOW, WE ALL KNOW THAT I'M A CLIMATE ACTIVIST,

6 minutes, 58 seconds

TRUMP INVITED ALL THE CEOs OF THE BIG FOSSIL FUEL COMPANIES AND SAID IF YOU GIVE ME A

7 minutes, 5 seconds

BILLION DOLLARS, YOU KNOW, I'LL TAKE AWAY ALL THE REGULATIONS, AND SO THEY DID, AND HE DID, AND CONSEQUENTLY NOW WE HAVE CHEMICALS AND ALL

7 minutes, 14 seconds

KINDS OF BAD THINGS THAT ARE KILLING US THAT ARE NOT EVEN REGULATED ANYMORE.

7 minutes, 18 seconds

NOW TO A COMPLETELY DIFFERENT A LITTLE BIT, IT'S NOT A LITTLE TOPIC.

7 minutes, 21 seconds

BUT WHO MEN I KNOW YOUR VALUE ALONG WITH FORBES, WE CREATED THE ANNUAL 50 OVER 50 LIST, IT'S NOW IN ITS 6TH YEAR, I THINK,

7 minutes, 31 seconds

IT'S JUST WOMEN, 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s REACHING THEIR HIGHEST HEIGHTS AND HAVING THEIR GREATEST IMPACT.

7 minutes, 37 seconds

YOU ARE SO YOU ARE SO POWERFUL, YOU ARE SO ENGAGED, YOU ARE SO INFLUENTIAL AND IMPACTFUL.

7 minutes, 42 seconds

I'M JUST WONDERING WHEN YOU WERE IN YOUR 20s AND 30s, DID YOU ENVISION YOUR CAREER AFTER 50 AT ALL?

7 minutes, 49 seconds

DID YOU THINK ABOUT I DIDN'T ENVISION MY LIFE AFTER 30.

7 minutes, 53 seconds

I DIDN'T THINK, I THOUGHT I WOULD PROBABLY BE DEAD FROM DRUGS OR ALCOHOL. I DON'T KNOW WHY I THOUGHT THAT.

8 minutes

I'VE NEVER HAD A DRUG OR ALCOHOL PROBLEM, BUT I DON'T I DON'T KNOW, I JUST NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD MAKE IT. YEAH. WOW.

8 minutes, 6 seconds

WELL, YOU'VE DONE MORE THAN THAT, JANE FONDA, I THINK. SAFE TO SAY.

8 minutes, 10 seconds

IT'S REALLY, REALLY GREAT IT'S GREAT TO HAVE YOU ON THE SHOW AND WE APPRECIATE WHAT YOU'RE DOING.

8 minutes, 15 seconds

RISE UP, SING OUT, A CONCERT FOR THE FIRST AMENDMENT WILL TAKE PLACE IN NEW YORK CITY YOU CAN GET ALL OF THE DETAILS

8 minutes, 23 seconds

INCLUDING TICKET INFORMATION AND HOW TO WATCH A FREE LIVE STREAM OF THE CONCERT AT RISEUP SINGOUT. JANE FONDA, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

8 minutes, 34 seconds

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME. THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

MS NOW

9.85M subscribers

some songs

Tuesday, June 9, 2026