Trump Sued For Blocking Twitter Users

[highplainsdem]

Source: Bloomberg

President Donald Trump and high ranking members of the White House staff were sued on Tuesday by the Knight First Amendment Institute, which alleges the president’s blocking of dissenting Twitter users violates the Constitution.

The case filed in Manhattan federal court seeks a court order that Trump stop the practice. The institute, a nonprofit organization affiliated with Columbia University, first warned it may seek an injunction in early June when they sent a letter to Trump, his counsel, press secretary, and social media director. At the time, the institute represented two Twitter users, both of whom said they were blocked after criticizing the president on the social media platform. Tuesday’s lawsuit represents seven such Twitter users.

In the complaint, the foundation argues that the president’s Twitter account, @realDonaldTrump, is “a public forum under the First Amendment” because of how both Trump and his staff use the account to communicate. Press secretary Sean Spicer has previously said Trump’s tweets are official statements.

“President Trump’s Twitter account has become an important source of news and information about the government, and an important forum for speech by, to, or about the president,” Jameel Jaffer, the Knight Institute’s executive director, said in a statement. “The First Amendment applies to this digital forum in the same way it applies to town halls and open school board meetings. The White House acts unlawfully when it excludes people from this forum simply because they’ve disagreed with the president.”

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Read more: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-07-11/trump-sued-for-blocking-twitter-users

[sandensea]

1. Cheeto wants all of the rights that come with the presidency - but none of the responsibility.

Like with everything else.

[logosoco]

2. While I do agree with the point of this, it has been my goal to get

blocked on twitter by this goofus. I don't think I have been mean enough, nor do I have enough followers for them to care.

[catbyte]

11. Actually, I think it might be a matter of timing. He can't read every tweet & he gets

tens of thousands of replies. The idiot blocked me & I have less than 700 followers, but I tended to tweet to him when he was active. I don't know. I'd never been threatening or particularly vulgar, usually I just used his own vile words against him. Keep trying!

[Sunlei]

13. The man reads every tweet on his prim. account Unconstitutional for a president to block Americans.

Though I post my tweets to the republicans' man- on @POTUS & @WhiteHouse.

[Sunlei]

15. I got the 12 hour block on his personal twitter the 5th day when he authorised his first attack.

That Fucking Republican pres & Admin slayed moms holding infants with several children. Families asleep in their homes at 2AM.

Didn't block me off @POTUS and @White House. I called him a BABY KILLER, a mass-murderer.

Got blocked off his personal account.

[onecaliberal]

4. Maybe I should jump on it, he blocked me during the campaign.

[VermontKevin]

9. Call them.

[bucolic_frolic]

5. Keep the courts humming and step on the gas

Just keep hitting ten times harder than he does

[IronLionZion]

6. What will it take to get Trump banned from Twitter?

or some of his minions

[Sunlei]

14. report him

[IronLionZion]

17. He probably holds the record for number of people reporting him nt

[Cryptoad]

7. Servers in Tweeterville,,,,

running out of room to store all the Block tweeters,,,,

[Gothmog]

8. If Trump's tweets are official US govt. communications, then this lawsuit may have merit

[VermontKevin]

10. Stephen King and J.K. Rowling have been blocked. Hope they are litigants.

[Initech]

12. If I got blocked from Trump's twitter feed there would be no Top 10!

But I can certainly try!

[trueblue2007]

16. I WISH HE'D BLOCK ME. ..... I'D SUE HIM !!!