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Trump violated the Constitution when he blocked his critics on Twitter, a federal judge rules
The Washington Post ^ | May 23, 2018 | Brian Fung

Posted on 05/23/2018 8:05:33 PM PDT by Trump20162020

President Trump's decision to block his Twitter followers for their political views is a violation of the First Amendment, a federal judge ruled Wednesday, saying that Trump's effort to silence his critics is not permissible because the digital space in which he engages with constituents is a public forum.

The ruling rejects administration arguments that the First Amendment does not apply to Trump in this case because he was acting as a private individual. In a 75-page decision, Judge Naomi Buchwald said Trump, as a federal official, is not exempt from constitutional obligations to refrain from "viewpoint discrimination."

"No government official — including the President — is above the law," wrote Buchwald for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

Noah Feldman, a Harvard law professor, said he thinks the case was wrongly decided and expects it to be reversed. For a public forum to exist, the government has to own or control it, he said, but in this case, Twitter also controls Trump's account.

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Government
KEYWORDS: 4ththread; activistjudge; activistjudges; buchwaldiffofsmith; buchwaldsayspublic; donaldtrump; lawsuit; naomibuchwald; naomireicebuchwald; newmedia; ruling; seescotusjan6ruling; smithtrumpprivateact; trump; twitter
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To: a fool in paradise
“viewpoint discrimination”

The judge is a "bitter clinger"

21 posted on 05/23/2018 8:38:55 PM PDT by glorgau
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To: Extremely Extreme Extremist
I’m surprised Twitter hasn’t blocked Trump yet.

LOL -- That would end REALLY well for Twitter. [/s]
(And that's w/o the President lifting a finger; just the outrage of their users directed at them.)

22 posted on 05/23/2018 8:40:58 PM PDT by Edward.Fish
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To: Trump20162020

The implications of this are incredible. I have to think that Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, will not like this decision. Since it warms says that there is First Amendment protection, and two, that Comments are protected. I presumed then, you too can I remove guns, conservatives cannot be restricted.


23 posted on 05/23/2018 8:42:58 PM PDT by Reno89519 (No Amnesty! No Catch-and-Release! Just Say No to All Illegal Aliens! Arrest & Deport!)
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To: All
A different judge ruled in GOP Governor Matt Bevin's favor, in a lawsuit brought on by the ACLU against him blocking people on Twitter.

The judge in the Trump case is uniquely bad. I don't think her ruling will stand appeal.

24 posted on 05/23/2018 8:45:50 PM PDT by Trump20162020
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So this means shadowbanning conservatives is a no no?


25 posted on 05/23/2018 8:50:44 PM PDT by dsrtsage (For Leftists, World History starts every day at breakfast)
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To: Trump20162020

Ah yes, another ruling pulled out of a leftist judge’s a**.


26 posted on 05/23/2018 8:51:23 PM PDT by headstamp 2 (My "White Privilege" is my work ethic.)
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To: Attention Surplus Disorder

Exactly...


27 posted on 05/23/2018 8:51:28 PM PDT by DoughtyOne (01/26/18 DJIA 30 stocks $26,616.71 48.794% > open 11/07/16 215.71 from 50% increase 1.2183 yrs..)
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To: Trump20162020

That gives us license to destroy Twitter. Follow every ‘rat you can. Obnoxiously oppose everything they say. If hey block you, sue.


28 posted on 05/23/2018 8:53:40 PM PDT by Gil4 (And the trees are all kept equal by hatchet, ax and saw)
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To: Trump20162020

Judge needs to be robo twitter spammed. Do it to all of the judges social accounts.

This is the goal of those Trump blocked. Many were robo spam.

There is no law saying left wing tards have the right to essentially impede communication of all who are not lefttards.

This is simply an attempt to shut down Trumps Twitter communication.


29 posted on 05/23/2018 8:54:51 PM PDT by patriotfury ((May the fleas of a thousand camels occupy mo' ham mads tents!))
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To: bigbob

#5. Your comment got garbled in transmission.

You wrote “Twitter blocking is obviously a high crime and misdemeanor”.

I think you meant to write “Twitter blocking was long time overdue but Trump showed a timely demeanor when it was done”.

As for the judge, another leftist “twit” who knows nothing about “twitting”.


30 posted on 05/23/2018 8:58:03 PM PDT by MadMax, the Grinning Reaper
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To: Reno89519

The implications of this are incredible.


I think one implication is the a person can reply to Trump’s tweets with porn. Trump can’t block him.

And that implies that if Trump gives a speech and a heckler shows porn, the heckler can’t be ejected.


31 posted on 05/23/2018 9:00:55 PM PDT by TTFX
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To: patriotfury
That's the kind of thing the boys on the chan boards specialize in.

If someone picked it up the judge would have to give up her online presence.

32 posted on 05/23/2018 9:07:26 PM PDT by yesthatjallen
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To: TTFX

how come there is ANOTHER VERSION of this story by the same writer, Brian Fung? different url too. someone needs to compare the two. definitely not the same.

23 May: WaPo: No, Twitter still isn’t subject to the First Amendment — even if a judge said Trump’s account is
by Brian Fung; Staff writer Hamza Shaban contributed to this report
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2018/05/23/no-twitter-still-doesnt-have-to-abide-by-the-first-amendment-even-if-trump-does/?utm_term=.0644dbe207cb


33 posted on 05/23/2018 9:09:19 PM PDT by MAGAthon
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To: Trump20162020

One of the best things about Trump becoming president is that he has helped expose just how nutty and out of touch with reality the liberals are to those who profess to be in the middle. They really want to be any part of these nuts?


34 posted on 05/23/2018 9:12:07 PM PDT by bcr100 (Its)
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To: Trump20162020

Two things: (1) If the court’s decision is 75 pages long, there’s a whole lot of rationalizing and making-stuff-up going on, and (2) this holding is a very short step from calling Twitter a “public utility.” Leftists like this boneheaded judge never, ever think about the consequences of their actions.


35 posted on 05/23/2018 9:12:23 PM PDT by hsalaw
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To: Trump20162020

B-O-L-O-G-N-A


36 posted on 05/23/2018 9:12:50 PM PDT by TBP (Progressives lack compassion and tolerance. Their self-aggrandizement is all that matters.)
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To: Reno89519

Can you translate that into English please?


37 posted on 05/23/2018 9:20:19 PM PDT by Jaysin
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To: Trump20162020

Nay Omi sounds like she might be a little fruit loops. Does this mean you violate the Constitution every time you “unfriend” someone on Facebook?


38 posted on 05/23/2018 9:21:40 PM PDT by FlingWingFlyer (#NotARussianBot)
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To: Trump20162020

Wait, what’s the use of a block feature again then?! /s


39 posted on 05/23/2018 9:22:42 PM PDT by cranked
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To: Trump20162020

The judge also ruled that Trump violated the constitution when he ate a cheeseburger without consuming the entire bun.


40 posted on 05/23/2018 9:30:12 PM PDT by Zhang Fei (Journalism is about covering important stories. With a pillow, until they stop moving.)
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