The First Amendment protects unpopular, offensive, and hateful speech.
Todd Blanche, Trump’s acting AG after he fired Pam Bondi, criticized millions of people on X and other social media for daring to take the president to task for his many breaches of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. During a news conference, the new AG included the non-assassination attempt on the president’s life and the now standard “manifesto” of the suspect released to the public to make the point something needs to be done about words the state considers terrorism.
The AG did not outright call for limiting the First Amendment. Blanche’s condemnation, aimed primarily at journalists and social media posts, represents a broadside against the freedom of speech. “Political violence and rhetoric has to stop,” he said, directly linking speech to violence.
Todd Blanche is the top law enforcement official of the United States. It should be expected an AG recognizes and respects the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Is it possible Mr. Blanche does not? He disregards the fact the First Amendment protects unpopular, offensive, and hateful speech. The amendment especially protects speech disliked by the state, including speech that is contemptuous or otherwise disrespectful of the president and his policies.
Mr. Blanche did not address Trump’s violent rhetoric, most outrageously, his threat to kill every person in Iran. He issued a number of threats against demonstrators at his rallies, made veiled threats against judges, encouraged police to manhandle suspects, praised the murder of Michael Reinoehl by ICE, insinuated that former Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Mike Milley (whom he appointed), should be executed, promised to “root out the Communists, Marxists, fascists and the radical left thugs,” shared on social media a video that includes an image of Joe Biden tied up in the back of a pickup truck with a “Trump 2024” bumper sticker, and denounced his political enemies as “human scum.” Trump’s vicious speech, unbecoming of a president, is protected by the First Amendment.
The Supreme Court ruled in Brandenburg v. Ohio (1969) that speech may be punished when it is intended to incite and provoke violence or imminent lawless action. Abstract calls for violence and illegal action are, however, protected, while calling for direct and unlawful conduct may not be.
“Threats and actual violence against groups and individuals singled out and demonized by Trump increased,” writes Perspectives on Terrorism. “Trump’s aggressive, divisive, and dehumanizing language was seconded by his followers and inflicted directly or indirectly psychological and physical harm to Trump’s declared enemies.”
Blanche defended the murder of Alex Pretti by ICE and argued that a civil rights investigation into the summary execution of Renée Good in Minneapolis was unnecessary. He also faced criticism as Deputy Attorney General for the Justice Department’s handling of the Epstein files. Blanche publicly condemned the release of identifying details about Epstein’s victims, describing it as “horrible” and “inexcusable,” while facing widespread criticism for numerous redactions in released FBI documents. On social media, critics call him a “pedo protector” for withholding evidence of criminal acts by government officials and wealthy individuals.
Here is a list of additional violent remarks made by Trump.
Trump has encouraged others with his hateful conduct. Mark Levin, an outspoken Zionist podcaster, recently called for social media to deplatform “Nazis” (people in solidarity with Palestinians) and “lowlifes” (anyone who believes killing Iranian children is criminal).
Hillary Clinton, the former Secretary of State under Obama, said speech is harmful and if the government does not step in to remove accounts critical of the government, “we lose total control” of the ability to censor speech and control the narrative.
Rabbi Yehuda Kaploun, Trump’s pick for combating antisemitism, announced the possiblity of massive censorship of Americans criticizing Israel. The State Department, he promised, will soon “have a whole division” for “fighting antisemitism” and changing social media algorithms, with the help of tech leaders.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has called for mass censorship in America in response to millions of people posting criticism of Israeli genocide and war crimes in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran.
Todd Blanche has made it clear: the First Amendment is unacceptable, even terroristic, if it criticizes, denounces, and lampoons the government, its officials, and especially the president. In the not too distant future, the United States may arrest, prosecute, and imprison Americans daring to speak their mind.
Article posted with permission from Kurt Nimmo
