Quote:A federal judge in New York ruledWednesday that President Trump may not block users from following his Twitter account because the social media platform is a “public forum” protected by the First Amendment.


A group of Twitter users sued the president in July after the @realDonaldTrump account blocked them from replying to his messages. The seven users had each tweeted a message critical of the president before they were blocked.

“Blocking of the individual plaintiffs as a result of the political views they have expressed is impermissible under the First Amendment,” Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald wrote in the decision.

“While we must recognize, and are sensitive to, the president’s personal First Amendment rights, he cannot exercise those rights in a way that infringes the corresponding First Amendment rights of those who have criticized him,” she wrote.

The White House did not immediately have a comment on the ruling.

Trump has more than 52 million followers on his @realDonaldTrump account, which has become the platform he uses most often to communicate to voters.

“The president’s practice of blocking critics on Twitter is pernicious and unconstitutional, and we hope this ruling will bring it to an end,” said Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute, which filed the suit.

(05-23-2018, 04:19 PM)GMDino Wrote: I have to think he just hates not being a private citizen anymore.

I mean I'm sure he loves the power and that feeds his ego, but being told that he is held to different standards as the POTUS must be maddening to him.  Especially when he is told "no".

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/05/23/trump-cannot-block-critical-twitter-users-federal-court-rules/637454002/

(05-23-2018, 05:35 PM)PhilHos Wrote: If we're talking about the Official President's twitter account, I can get onbaord with this. If we're talking about Trump's personal twitter account, this is an absolutely horrible decision, IMO.

(05-23-2018, 05:52 PM)GMDino Wrote: The problem is he uses his personal account to make Presidential statements.

If he posted on the POTUS one solely I'd agree with you.

(05-23-2018, 06:02 PM)SunsetBengal Wrote: So, are you going to resume flooding his account with 479 Liberal memes per day? 

(05-23-2018, 06:04 PM)bfine32 Wrote: Not sure I agree wit this ruling especially the Judge's rationale that Trump just can ignore the tweets. If someone is harassing you via social media you should absolutely be able to block them.

(05-23-2018, 05:35 PM)PhilHos Wrote: If we're talking about the Official President's twitter account, I can get onbaord with this. If we're talking about Trump's personal twitter account, this is an absolutely horrible decision, IMO.

(05-24-2018, 08:10 AM)BmorePat87 Wrote: In MD, our governor blocks people off his official page. The ACLU sued and they agreed for him to have two accounts, a personal and an official. He can only block on his personal.

From what I understand, that wasn't an official court ruling though, just an agreement. He technically has an official twitter and a personal twitter. As far as I am concerned, he can block on his personal as long as he doesn't on his official.

(05-23-2018, 05:52 PM)GMDino Wrote: The problem is he uses his personal account to make Presidential statements.

If he posted on the POTUS one solely I'd agree with you.

(05-24-2018, 08:10 AM)BmorePat87 Wrote: In MD, our governor blocks people off his official page. The ACLU sued and they agreed for him to have two accounts, a personal and an official. He can only block on his personal.

From what I understand, that wasn't an official court ruling though, just an agreement. He technically has an official twitter and a personal twitter. As far as I am concerned, he can block on his personal as long as he doesn't on his official.

(05-23-2018, 04:19 PM)GMDino Wrote: I have to think he just hates not being a private citizen anymore.

I mean I'm sure he loves the power and that feeds his ego, but being told that he is held to different standards as the POTUS must be maddening to him.  Especially when he is told "no".

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2018/05/23/trump-cannot-block-critical-twitter-users-federal-court-rules/637454002/

(05-24-2018, 01:09 PM)XenoMorph Wrote: wait you can block whoever you want on social media right? or is he trying to get them blocked from using it?

(05-24-2018, 01:23 PM)PhilHos Wrote: Sounds like he just blocked them from following him. You know how Leslie Jones did to Milo Yannopolousisouesouiesous? Apparently, it was okay for her to do so, but not for Trump because "free speech".

(05-24-2018, 01:23 PM)PhilHos Wrote: Sounds like he just blocked them from following him. You know how Leslie Jones did to Milo Yannopolousisouesouiesous? Apparently, it was okay for her to do so, but not for Trump because "free speech".

(05-24-2018, 01:09 PM)XenoMorph Wrote: wait you can block whoever you want on social media right? or is he trying to get them blocked from using it?

(05-24-2018, 01:33 PM)Belsnickel Wrote: The right to free speech is the freedom to express oneself without government retaliation and especially to the government. A government official blocking you on social media is, in the opinion of the court, cutting off the avenue of expression to the government.

(05-24-2018, 01:45 PM)PhilHos Wrote: Except blocking someone on twitter is not preventing them from expressing themselves.

(05-24-2018, 01:01 PM)PhilHos Wrote: According to the OP, it's his personal twitter (@realDonaldTrump), he's not allowed to block anyone on it and the OP said it was a ruling.