Civil Liberties

• Trump attacks free speech, demands tough ‘libel laws’ after book speculates on his mental health. In a stunning press event on Saturday, Donald Trump suggested that the revelations made about his mental health in Michael Wolff’s new book ‘Fire and Fury’ show that America needs to limit people’s ability to “say whatever comes to your head” and libel laws need to be tougher. When asked about the book’s explosive claims, Trump said the fact that he went to “the best colleges” is proof that he is an intelligent, stable person. but he couldn’t resist going on a tangent about his mental health when a reporter asked him why he spent Saturday morning tweeting about it.  

• The press conference was intended to be focused on legislative issues and the Republican Party’s 2018 policy agenda, but Trump had no idea what Senator Feinstein was talking about. Or what love was. Or what he should do about DACA.

• After further consideration of Wolff’s book, Trump returned to his campaign vow to “open up libel laws.” In a media opportunity on Wednesday with Cabinet members, he stated that “One of the things I’m going to do if I win …  is I’m going to open up our libel laws so when they write purposely negative and horrible and false articles, we can sue them and win lots of money,” said Trump at a February 2016 campaign event in Fort Worth, Tex. However, public officials like Trump must prove actual malice in libel cases, meaning that false statements about officials are protected unless the reporter published the information with reckless disregard for the truth. The Supreme Court established the actual malice criteria in 1964 with the landmark New York Times v. Sullivan case.

Continue reading “Miller Saturday Collection – The “Consensual” Edition – 1/5 – 1/12″ →