OPINION:
President-elect Donald Trump isn’t messing around. His first major policy statement since his landslide victory outlines his plan to restore free speech. This fundamental right has been diluted by federal officials who have worked closely with tech executives to suppress views they do not like.
“If we don’t have free speech, then we just don’t have a free country. It’s a simple as that,” Mr. Trump explained in a video last week.
Documents uncovered through lawsuits and released by X owner Elon Musk reveal how agencies such as the FBI, Department of Justice and Department of Homeland Security worked closely with social media platforms such as Twitter, YouTube and Facebook to remove content they labeled “misinformation” or “malinformation.”
For instance, doctors who questioned the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines or the wisdom of lockdowns during the coronavirus panic were cut off from the public conversation. Anyone expressing thoughts contrary to the conventional wisdom — as determined by the Biden-Harris administration — might be algorithmically silenced in a process known as “shadowbanning.”
“The censorship cartel must be dismantled and destroyed, and it must happen immediately,” Mr. Trump said.
The next commander in chief said he intends to sign an executive order on Jan. 20 banning federal employees from doing anything that impedes lawful speech. This shouldn’t even be necessary, considering that “order” already exists: the First Amendment.
But bureaucrats sometimes don’t always allow the constitutionality of their actions to get in the way. To combat bureaucratic obstructionists who might try to evade the forthcoming directive, the Office of Management and Budget will ensure there is no funding for federal activities that suppress speech.
In addition, Mr. Trump says he will identify and fire anyone who participated in this illegal activity. Private companies and organizations that went along with this are also in the crosshairs and will have to deal with investigations of whether their actions constituted illegal in-kind contributions to Democratic campaigns.
Republican House committees will be busy dashing off document preservation orders to ensure responsible parties don’t escape justice by shredding evidence before Inauguration Day. Such conduct would be a direct violation of the federal obstruction statute.
The most ambitious goal on Mr. Trump’s road map is passage of legislation clarifying the scope of the Section 230 immunity that social media companies enjoy.
In the late 1990s, Congress insulated the nascent technology platforms from lawsuits to promote their growth. It worked. The companies built monopoly positions in the marketplace, but they are now abusing their immunity to advance political agendas.
“From now on, digital platforms should only qualify for immunity protection under Section 230 if they meet high standards of neutrality, transparency, fairness and nondiscrimination,” he said.
Proving Mr. Trump has learned the lessons of his first term in office, he will also pull the plug on government funding for nonprofits and universities that contribute in any way to the “authoritarian project” to blacklist citizens who express thoughts distasteful to the ivory tower elite.
The ban on university research funding would last five years, and “maybe more.” Also, members of the intelligence community would have to wait at least seven years before being eligible to take a job in private companies that handle sensitive personal data.
This plan demonstrates Mr. Trump knows how to get things done this time. Democrats won’t know what hit them.
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