Trump promised to restore free speech

On his first day back in office in January twenty twenty five, President Donald Trump signed an executive order restoring freedom of speech and ending federal censorship.

But his administration is targeting speech it dislikes

More than a year and a half later, his administration is instead busy using government power to go after speech it dislikes, according to First Amendment lawyer Greg Lukianoff.

The FCC pressured a late-night host

Federal Communications Commission chair Brendan Carr urged broadcasters to take action against Jimmy Kimmel over his comments following Charlie Kirk's killing.

The FCC blocked an interview

In September, Kimmel said the FCC again intervened to stop his late night show from airing an interview with James Talarico, Democratic Senate candidate for Texas.

Trump barred three news outlets from the White House

Last month, Trump barred three news outlets, CNN, MS NOW, and Politico, from the White House over their coverage. A federal judge quickly blocked that ban.

But the outlets remain banned from Trump trips

Although the White House ban was blocked, both CNN and Politico have since been banned from traveling with the press pool on Trump trips.

Republican states restrict campus speech

In states like Texas, Republican lawmakers have restricted when students can protest and given governor appointed university boards more say over what gets taught.

Fifteen states passed restrictive campus laws

In twenty twenty five, fifteen states passed laws that restrict what can be taught or weaken protections for free expression on college campuses.

Lukianoff says free speech is in peril

Greg Lukianoff, president and CEO of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, says the status of free speech is in great peril both on and off campus.

“The status of free speech is in great peril, both on and off campus. I've been doing this for 25 years, and it's about as bad as I've ever seen it.”

About ninety people faced backlash over Kirk comments

Following Charlie Kirk's killing, about ninety people faced backlash cases. An ex cop went to jail for thirty seven days just for forwarding a Trump meme.

Free speech is no longer a shared value

Lukianoff says for most of his twenty five year career, civil libertarians on the left and libertarians on the right agreed on freedom of speech. Now both sides only defend their own.

“I'm afraid we're losing, or maybe even, I hate to say this dramatically, but maybe even have lost it as a shared value as a society.”

Trump's actions contradict his promise

Trump had to get his team to give constitutional justification for kicking out the press pool, but on Truth Social said it was because of their viewpoint, which violates the Constitution.

Lukianoff is worried but hopeful long term

Lukianoff says he is worried in the short term but hopeful for the long term future of free speech because societies with freedom of speech have real advantages over ones without it.

“I'm hopeful for the long-term future of free speech, but in the short term, I'm worried.”