Russia’s ambassador to Washington warns Americans will face COMPLETE CENSORSHIP near Election Day

Anatoly Antonov, Russia's ambassador to Washington, asserts that in the United States, only those who align with pro-establishment views still enjoy freedom of speech under the First Amendment, while others are increasingly subjected to a "political inquisition." Antonov's comments followed an FBI raid on the Virginia home of Dimitri Simes, a Russian-born U.S. political analyst and author who has been openly critical of Joe Biden and has co-hosted a geopolitical talk show on Russia's Channel 1 since 2018.

According to Antonov, the raid on Simes is part of a broader political "witch hunt." He warned on Telegram that this situation is likely to worsen as the November 5 election approaches. "Hundreds of people are labeled undesirable simply because they dare to oppose the administration's policies," Antonov stated. "They are denied the right to have their own opinions," as government agents "break into homes, conduct searches, and seize documents."

Antonov likened the current climate in the U.S. to the "dark times of McCarthyism," referring to the era from 1950 to 1954 when Senator Joseph McCarthy led a campaign to purge alleged communists from the U.S. government. He contends that "the ruling circles have committed to a path of total censorship."

"Freedom of speech in modern America is sacred only when it is pro-American," Antonov argues, adding that dissenters face a political inquisition, particularly those who challenge biased views on Russia.

Antonov further criticized the Washington, D.C., power structure for its double standards on freedom and democracy, noting that while it "lectures the world on democratic values and human rights," it simultaneously disregards Americans' First Amendment rights.

Dimitri Simes, a naturalized U.S. citizen who immigrated from the Soviet Union in 1973, previously served as an aide to President Richard Nixon and was the publisher and CEO of *National Interest* magazine, which takes a realist approach to geopolitics. Simes was also investigated during the height of "Russiagate" by Special Counsel Robert Mueller as a potential contact between Donald Trump and the Russian government. However, Mueller's 2019 report, which found no evidence of collusion between Moscow and Trump's 2016 campaign, also cleared Simes.

A week before the FBI raided Simes' home, agents also raided the New York home of former U.S. Marine and UN weapons inspector Scott Ritter. Ritter, now a journalist and commentator, suggested that U.S. authorities are particularly concerned about his ties to Russian media outlets RT and Sputnik.

One commentator described the erosion of democracy and free speech in the U.S. as a symptom of a "collapsing empire," while another pointed out that censorship is being used to prevent people from discovering the truth.

As the 2024 election cycle unfolds, it is shaping up to be as chaotic as expected.