On Wednesday, a federal judge out of the Southern District of New York ruled that President Trump’s blocking of people on Twitter somehow violated the First Amendment and declared Trump’s account was a public forum. Of course, the liberal media that has condemned the President’s use of the social media platform saw it as a victory and rejoiced. Both CBS and NBC made sure to touch on it during their evening broadcasts.
“A federal judge in New York today ruled that President Trump's Twitter account is a public forum and he can no longer block his critics because that violates their First Amendment rights,” announced anchor Jeff Glor on CBS Evening News. “The judge said Mr. Trump can mute his critics instead, which makes their comments invisible to the President but visible to others.”
Meanwhile, on NBC Nightly News, anchor Lester Holt was excited to have chief White House correspondent Hallie Jackson explain the ruling to viewers. “Hallie, before I let you go, fill us in on this court ruling today about the President's tweets and whether he can block followers, as most people are able to do,” he requested.
“Well, he can’t. And that’s according to a federal judge, Lester, citing the First Amendment. She says that blocking certain accounts online from interacting with President Trump violates free speech, albeit, as she acknowledges a narrow slice of it,” she responded.
Of course, both networks omitted the fact that Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald, the judge who made the ruling, was originally appointed by former President Bill Clinton (as The Hill noted). And while the networks were quick to assert that the ruling barred Trump from blocking even more people, both The Hill and the Fox News Channel noted it didn’t go that far.
“But Buchwald did not order Trump or [social media director, Daniel] Scavino to unblock the individual plaintiffs in the case or prohibit them from blocking others from the account based on their views as the plaintiffs’ had asked,” reported The Hill’s Lydia Wheeler.
On Fox News’s Special Report, anchor Bret Baier also noted:
A judge, meantime, has said President Trump is violating the First Amendment when he blocks critics on Twitter. But the judge is stopping short of ordering the President to stop that practice. It has been suggested that President mute and not block some of the critics. Muting prevents the user from seeing that person's tweets and reply messages.
The suggestion that blocking Twitter accounts was somehow akin to suppressing free speech seems arguably dubious at best, despite the judge’s 75-page opinion. This ruling is sure to add fuel to the ridiculous Twitter tirades of radical individuals on the site who claim the same thing. And while this case may not be over yet, The Hill noted the DOJ was looking to possibly appeal the ruling.
The transcripts are below:
CBS Evening News
May 23, 2018
6:52:35 PM EasternJEFF GLOR: A federal judge in New York today ruled that President Trump's Twitter account is a public forum and he can no longer block his critics because that violates their First Amendment rights. The judge said Mr. Trump can mute his critics instead, which makes their comments invisible to the President but visible to others.
NBC Nightly News
May 23, 2018
7:06:01 PM Eastern(…)
LESTER HOLT: Hallie, before I let you go, fill us in on this court ruling today about the President's tweets and whether he can block followers, as most people are able to do.
HALLIE JACKSON: Well, he can’t. And that’s according to a federal judge, Lester, citing the First Amendment. She says that blocking certain accounts online from interacting with President Trump violates free speech, albeit, as she acknowledges a narrow slice of it.
