Tag: free speech

Clarence Thomas moves to erode First Amendment in retaliation against tech companies that punished Trump

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Conservative Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas says that judges will soon have “no choice” but to regulate the tech companies that punished former President Donald Trump for inciting a failed insurrection.

Thomas made the remarks in a Monday Supreme Court opinion that vacated a lower court ruling, which had prevented Trump from blocking certain Twitter followers who he did not want to comment on his tweets.

Thomas, who traditionally sides with corporations, suggested that the high court would allow Congress to erode the First Amendment by arguing that tech companies do not have the free speech rights to control their platforms. Continue reading.

Conservative writer slams GOP senator for spreading ‘legal disinformation’ about the First Amendment

AlterNet logoWhile many argue that social media outlets like Facebook and Twitter need to do a better job of policing content posted by President Donald Trump and his allies, Trump supporters have a very different view. They claim that those outlets are discriminating against Republicans and violating the First Amendment protections. Far-right Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler of Georgia made such claims during a recent appearance on Fox News — and a well-known conservative journalist, David A. French, is schooling her on what the First Amendment actually does.

Loeffler told Fox News: “It’s very clear that there needs to be strong action, and that’s what I’m taking. I’m taking strong action to protect the 1st Amendment — the freedom of speech for all Americans regardless of their political party. I’ve signed onto legislation to look at the limits on immunity from litigation that currently protects big tech. You know, if you look at what’s happened, it’s all happened against conservative speech — and we need to take a close look at that…. Right now, conservative speech is really under fire by big tech.”

Sen. Josh Hawley of Missouri has introduced a bill that would amend Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 and allow lawsuits against platforms like Twitter and Facebook on the grounds that they are censoring political speech. Loeffler voiced her support for the legislation: Continue reading.

Trump to Female Reporter: ‘Don’t Be a Baby’

Credit: Jonathan Ernst, Reuters

President Trump brushed off questions from a female reporter on Friday by telling her, “Don’t be a baby.” During a round-table discussion on immigration in Arizona, Trump had repeatedly stated that migrants trying to enter the U.S. are “hardened criminals.” “These are some bad people coming through. These aren’t babies, these aren’t little angels coming into our country,” he said. When New York Times reporter Emily Cochrane asked him to clarify what evidence leads him to believe the migrants are “hardened criminals,” Trump said, “Oh, please. Please. Don’t be a baby. Okay?” He went on to urge Cochrane to “just take a look at what’s happened.” “Look at the Mexican soldiers laying on the ground. These are hardened—I didn’t say all of them…These are tough, tough people, and I don’t want them and neither does our country want them,” Trump was quoted as saying. The president was apparently referencing clashes at Mexico’s border with Guatemala that broke out Friday as a migrant caravan from Honduras tried to get through. Several police officers and migrants were reportedly injured as migrants tried to push through the gates.

The following October 20 article was posted on the DailyBeast.com website here.