Why a judge says @realDonaldTrump can’t block opponents
President Donald Trump can do many things on Twitter. He can call a former FBI director “slippery” and a former president “cheatin’.” He can spontaneously SWITCH TO ALL CAPS and claim media organizations are “fake news.”
But now there’s one thing a federal judge says Trump can’t do: Block users because of dissenting political opinions.
U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald in New York ruled last Wednesday that Trump violates the First Amendment when he blocks critics on Twitter. The decision is the most prominent among a string of similar cases against public officials and could mark a turning point for constituents who interact with government employees on social media.
“The First Amendment is designed to encourage the greatest amount of freedom in communicating with public officials of all kinds, and that’s why this is such an important decision — because it sends a message to all politicians,” said Chris Finan, executive director of the National Coalition Against Censorship.