On Tuesday a federal appeals court in New York ruled that President Donald Trump, when using his infamous @realDonaldTrump Twitter account, cannot block his critics. That decision upholds an earlier district court ruling.
The court found that an account used by a public official to conduct "all manner of public purposes" cannot exclude those who disagree that official from participating in an open, online discussion.
The Justice Department defended the president in the case, which was first brought by the Knight First Amendment Institute in 2017. The Institute represented several critics of the president who have been "blocked" by the @realDonaldTrump account.
In an emailed statement, Justice Department spokesperson Kelly Laco said, "We are disappointed with the court's decision and are exploring possible next steps. As we argued, President Trump's decision to block users from his personal twitter account does not violate the First Amendment."
However, the court found that the account was not "private," meaning the government had engaged in "viewpoint discrimination," which violates the First Amendment.
When asked by Cheddar whether Twitter would stop the @realDonaldTrump account from blocking other users, the social media company declined to comment.
"Public officials' social media accounts are now among the most significant forums for discussion of government policy," said Jameel Jaffer, the executive director of the Knight Institute, in a press release Tuesday. "This decision will ensure that people aren't excluded from these forums simply because of their viewpoints, and that public officials aren't insulated from their constituents' criticism."
Trump has frequently announced his policy intentions ー and other ruminations on politics ー through that account, though he also has access to an official presidential Twitter account run by the White House.
Also unhelpful to the Justice Department's argument that the account is private is that multiple White House officials have referred to the @realDonaldTrump account as an official source of information. For instance, in 2017, then-White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer said that tweets from that account should be considered "official statements by the President," and the White House itself has included statements made from the account in collections of official White House records.
The White House Director of Social Media, and assistant to the president, Dan Scavino, helps Trump run that account.
Earlier this month, New York City experienced one of the deadliest fires it has seen in decades. 17 people lost their lives in the Fordham section of the Bronx. This was due to a faulty space heater which reportedly began on the lower floor of the 120 unit building. Thanks to the F. D. N. Y. And heroic neighbors, many were able to get out in time. Unfortunately, the toxic smoke surged upwards through a safety door. Now, many advocates say negligence by policymakers and landlords has led to the deaths in black and brown communities from fires that honestly could have been preventable. Legislative Director of Citizen Action of New York, Rebecca Garrard, and the Chair of Journalism and New Media Studies at St. Joseph's College Theodore Hamm, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
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As controversy dogs the run-up to the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, China is hiring TikTokers and other social media influencers to promote the nation's history, culture, diplomatic efforts, and current trends.
The Supreme Court has rejected another request to block Texas' strict abortion law. This marks the third time the high court has declined to intervene in challenges to the law that bans abortions after six weeks, well before many women even know they're pregnant. Aziza Ahmed, professor of law at the University of California, Irvine, joined Cheddar News to discuss the impact of the law so far on women seeking abortion services in Texas.
Mayors in cities like Miami and New York City are considering introducing cryptocurrencies as a way to reduce economic inequality. Miami Mayor Francis X. Suarez has even pushed for distributing Bitcoin dividends to the city's inhabitants.
The U.S. will be implementing a vaccine mandate for all people entering through its land borders, removing exemptions for "essential" travelers such as truckers, students, and business people. While the Canadian Trucking Alliance argues that the new, stricter rule might exacerbate ongoing auto supply chain issues, some health experts see the potential for helping curb the ongoing pandemic. Anthony Santella, a professor of health administration at the University of New Haven, joined Cheddar to give his take on the updated border crossing restriction. "We can't just focus on one type of travel. We need to ensure that it's clear and consistent across all types of travel," Santella said.
