The American Civil Liberties Union sustained heavy rhetorical fire on Wednesday after posting a tweet defending Meta’s decision to reinstate former President Donald Trump to its Facebook and Instagram social media platforms.
“This is the right call,” the nonprofit civil liberties advocacy organization tweeted Wednesday. “Like it or not, President Trump is one of the country’s leading political figures and the public has a strong interest in hearing his speech.”
The ACLU’s statement is consistent with the stance the organization adopted on May 10, 2022, concerning Elon Musk’s announcement of his intention to reinstate Trump to Twitter’s platform.
Retribution for ACLU’s tweet praising Trump’s reinstatement to social media giant Meta’s platforms was relentless and swift. The attacks stemmed primarily from progressive figures, with praises emanating largely from conservatives and libertarians.
“Bad Feminist” author Roxane Gay expressed surprise at the ACLU’s stance, noting that former President Trump has access to alternative venues for self-expression (e.g., Trump’s social media platform, Truth Social).
The Hollywood Reporter’s editor at large, Kim Masters, indicated she may no longer donate to the organization.
Commentator Keith Olbermann added his voice to the backlash, suggesting the ACLU had mistaken government-related free speech suppression with private companies’ rights to operate as they see fit.
Figures on the right-leaning side of the political spectrum praised the ACLU’s stance, heralding it as a victory for First Amendment-related liberties. Responses ranged from mocking those decrying the ACLU’s stance to more thoughtful support.
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