Some people are turned off by the tweets of U.S. President Donald trump which can be so vile when he is hitting his perceived enemies such as the Democrats or people who tweet against Melania, Ivanka, Donald Jr., Eric, and Barron.
Twitter users who criticize the president are sometimes blocked by Trump, but a group said it is unconstitutional. The Knight First Amendment Institute, based at Columbia University, filed a lawsuit on Tuesday against Trump. Included in the lawsuit, filed in the Manhattan Federal Court, are Sean Spicer, the press secretary, and Daniel Scavino, the social media director of the White House.
Suppressing dissent
The institute and seven other Twitter members from the U.S., allegedly blocked by Trump and his media handlers, said in the lawsuit that they seek to end the president’s practice of excluding Twitter users who criticize him on his policies. They said the suppression of dissent in the microblogging portal is unconstitutional, The New York Daily News reported.
The lawsuit pointed out that the Twitter account of Trump, @realDonaldTrump, is a vital source of news and information about the government and is a public forum for speech. They added that Twitter is a key channel of Trump’s official communication and even the White House had confirmed that Trump’s tweets are official government policies.
The plaintiffs said being prevented from viewing the president’s tweet, replying to his tweets, viewing the discussions arising from the tweets, and participating in the discussion breach their First Amendment right to access. Among the groups or individuals blocked by Trump are VoteVets, a pro-veterans group, and author Stephen King.
Group wrote to Trump in June
The First Knight Amendment Institute filed the lawsuit apparently as a last resort because the Institute wrote the billionaire a letter in June threatening legal action if he did not unblock his Twitter critics. The president did not unblock them, Gizmodo reported. The website noted there are other ways to view Trump’s tweets, but his blocking them silences Americans who want to express their constitutional right to freedom of speech.
One member of the microblogging site blocked by Trump is RebeccaBuckwaterPoz who reacted to Trump’s tirade against mainstream media which would have given him zero chances of winning the presidency is he relied on these news organizations. Her comment on the same day earned RebeccaBuckwaterPoz a block from the president.
To be fair you didn't win the WH: Russia won it for you. pic.twitter.com/iPUXKopd9B
— RebeccaBuckwalterPoz (@rpbp) June 6, 2017
Although @realDonaldTrump is a personal Twitter account of the president, his use of it to announce government action, such as the nomination of Christopher Wray as FBI director weakens his potential argument that his tweets should not be considered the official communication from the White House.
