PEN America, a non-profit group of writers and journalists, has filed a lawsuit in federal court in New York against President Donald Trump for allegedly violating America’s First Amendment. It seeks to “to stop President Trump from using the machinery of government to retaliate or threaten reprisals against journalists and media outlets for coverage he dislikes.”
In the lawsuit, the group distinguishes between Trump’s general statements, such as calling the journalists “the enemy of the American people” and his specific ones, in which he calls out individual journalists, publishers and owners, and media outlets. It noted that these attacks, “while troubling and anti-democratic, are not the basis upon which Plaintiff PEN America seeks relief.”
Rather, the lawsuit lists a number of incidents and repeated behavior, including:
- Trump demanded that Jeff Bezos, Amazon, and The Washington Post, which Bezos owns personally, be punished because of the Post‘s coverage of him. This includes reports that Trump told the U.S. Postmaster General to double Amazon’s delivery rates, and issued an executive order requiring a review of what it charges Amazon and other companies.
- The president has regularly threatened CNN and its parent company,Time Warner. The lawsuit cites a Justice Department lawsuit to block the merger between AT&T and Time Warner.
- Trump regularly threatens to withdraw White House press credentials of individual reporters.
- The president has threatened to challenge broadcast licenses for television stations owned by or carrying NBC and other networks.
PEN may face difficulty in establishing standing—or the right to bring a suit—as it doesn’t directly represent any of the specific parties it alleges that Trump has engaged in a suppression of free speech or the intent to do so. It notes that some members work for organizations covered by the president’s statements and directives.
Breaking: PEN America sues Trump over claimed retaliatory actions against media organizations. Lawsuit cites Trump's attacks on the Post (re: Amazon), CNN (re: merger), and NBC (re: broadcast license). https://t.co/LWJwSrLacI pic.twitter.com/ZOC7ILnoRv
— Chris Geidner (@chrisgeidner) October 16, 2018
The reality is that President Trump isn’t shutting down any journalist’s free speech or the freedom or the press as a whole because he’s not stopping any media outlet from producing their content. The real story is that the whinny liberals in the press have become accustomed to being able to create their fake news ad nauseam without anyone having the stones to call them out on it. Now that Trump has put them over his knee for a proper spanking they are crying like the spoiled brats they are.
This group of sissies is basically suing Trump for being a ‘big meanie’.
The coalition also neglected to mention that the media’s hyperbolic and oftentimes false rhetoric has caused members of the Trump administration and Republicans in Congress to likewise be inundated with death threats, harassment and sometimes even assault.
And unlike the president’s rhetoric — which has never once included calls for his followers to attack the media in any way, shape, or form — members of the media have explicitly called for Republicans to be harassed.
Except the president has never once suppressed the media’s First Amendment right. And the so-called “threats” cited by the coalition were just Trump posing questions to his Twitter followers:
With all of the Fake News coming out of NBC and the Networks, at what point is it appropriate to challenge their License? Bad for country!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 11, 2017
In an attempt to cite an example of the president suppressing the media’s rights, Nossel non-specifically cited “several cases” in which “it appears that the bureaucracy he controls has acted on his demands, making other threats he issues to use his governmental powers more credible.”
Appearances can be deceiving, can they not? This is why the judicial rulings are determined via the analysis of facts, not appearances. It’s perhaps because of this glaring lack of facts in PEN America’s suit that few appear to be taking the suit seriously.
UPDATE 5/10/2019: DOJ asks judge to dismiss lawsuit.
The same week it was reported that dozens of journalists allegedly lost their White House press credentials under a new policy, a group suing President Donald Trump over alleged First Amendment violations is defending the viability of its lawsuit to a New York federal judge.
You got to be kidding. What’s the damages? Trump makes money and ratings for the press, especially Politico! If Trump didn’t exist you guys would have to invent him to stay alive.
— John Marke (@JohnAMDG) October 16, 2018
Yeah, it’s very concerning. I’ve noticed how it’s really tempered your coverage. That threat of retaliation is really holding you hostage for the 5-8% positive news coverage. With a few well placed lawsuits you could probably drop that to 1-2%
— andrew knott (@andrewknott8) October 16, 2018
— Shifu (@SpiderTrades) October 16, 2018
LMAO at this stupidity. Priceless indeed!
— Dave Garner (@V1_man) October 16, 2018
https://twitter.com/acmom62/status/1052231448999153665
Source: Fortune, I Love My Freedom, Hollywood Reporter
Perfect! He should counter-sue them for libel and slander.
Well, what a friggen shame. Good thing this kind of c**p is laughable!!
I agree with and support President Trump wholeheartedly.
How dare they. They are the ones promoting the c**p that is all lies. And they are the globalization against the American people