Fox News’ Jonathan Turley blasted Biden-appointed U.S. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s “chilling” take on free speech and government censorship Wednesday on “America’s Newsroom.”
The court heard arguments Monday regarding accusations that the Biden administration coordinated with social media companies to censor online content containing opposing opinions about the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 presidential election and other issues. While hearing oral arguments, Jackson said her “biggest concern” was that the plaintiff’s view “has the First Amendment hamstringing the government in significant ways.”
Turley told Fox News anchor Dana Perino that he is “very concerned” with how the court will rule on the issue of the government “censoring” free speech, particularly in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Well, there are, indeed, important First Amendment cases here. As someone associated with the free speech community, we’re all on edge,” Turley said. “It was chilling in the social media case to hear justices like Jackson repeatedly say, ‘What’s the problem with the government coercing speech? Why shouldn’t they when there are really troubling periods … Like in the pandemic.’ And many of us really, sort of, were agape at that because, you know, much of what the government did on censorship was wrong.”
“That as many things as they were censoring by scientists who were fired and disciplined and barred from social media, they were vindicated ultimately on things like the origin of the virus, showing that it’s not just a possibility — many consider it the leading possibility.” Turley continued. “The closing of schools, they were vindicated on many of those things. And yet you have Jackson saying, ‘I don’t see why the government can’t coerce social media.’ So we’re all very concerned where the government will land there.” (RELATED: ‘You Keep Putting Words In My Mouth’: Elon Musk Slams Ex-CNN Host Over Race, Gender Politics)
A district court injunction in July 2023 blocked officials belonging to agencies ranging from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to the FBI from communicating with social media platforms. The oral arguments Monday took place for the court to consider the Biden administration’s appeal of the case Murthy v. Missouri.