Legal Expert Says Harris, Walz Dangerous For Free Speech
On Wednesday, George Washington University law professor Jonathan cautioned that a Harris-Walz administration could pose a serious threat to free speech.
Vice President Kamala Harris has previously supported restrictions on speech, notably urging then-Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey in October 2019 to suspend former President Donald Trump’s account while he was still in office.
During an appearance on “Fox & Friends,” Turley responded to a clip from later that month, where Harris reiterated her desire to remove Trump from the platform, suggesting that the vice president views “speech as a privilege” that can be taken away from Americans considered “reckless.”
“It’s really Brazil that I think many in the anti-free speech movement are watching carefully. If Brazil can succeed in banning Twitter from the entire country, it will be replicated. Because many hold the view from what you just heard from Vice President Harris. They view speech as a privilege. It’s like a driver’s license that they think that can be rescinded if you’re reckless,” Turley said. “And this is the ultimate destination for this movement where if they can’t convince people to give up their own freedoms to embrace censorship, they’re going to start to take sites offline to prevent people from hearing opposing views.”
On Friday, a Brazilian judge mandated that internet providers block access to X (formerly Twitter) for citizens after billionaire Elon Musk refused to follow the court’s orders to suspend specific accounts in the country.
“We need more protection through Congress. And this should be the issue of this election. In 1800, Thomas Jefferson defeated John Adams in the only presidential election where free speech was the central issue,” Turley added. “Free speech is on the ballot. Not democracy. Free speech is on the ballot. Because, quite frankly, a Harris-Walz administration would be a perfect nightmare for free speech.”
Jonathan Turley Warns 'Harris-Walz Administration Would Be A Perfect Nightmare For Free Speech' pic.twitter.com/qo4G3F6Ms8
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) September 4, 2024
As vice president, senator, and California’s attorney general, Harris has backed policies that restrict speech, including defending a law—later struck down by the Supreme Court—that required pro-life pregnancy centers to advertise abortions.
Harris has also voiced support for holding social media companies “accountable” for “hate speech” and so-called misinformation.
Her running mate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, stated in a 2022 MSNBC interview that there’s “no guarantee to free speech on misinformation or hate speech.”
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 4, 2024
Under the Biden-Harris administration, government agencies have undertaken significant efforts to limit online speech, pressuring platforms to censor content on topics such as COVID-19.
