Did Trump just save free speech?
Donald Trump’s re-ascension is igniting a new era of free speech and freedom that just months ago seemed incomprehensible.
President-elect Donald Trump has obliterated the progressive megaplex. From the news media to Silicon Valley — and even comedy — Mr. Trump’s re-ascension is igniting a new era of free speech and freedom that just months ago seemed incomprehensible.
Meta founder Mark Zuckerberg’s shocking announcement Tuesday that his company will upend the way it handles censorship is the latest Earth-shattering victory for the incoming commander-in-chief — and a First Amendment triumph virtually no one saw coming.
Mr. Zuckerberg not only admitted to the rampant censorship many conservatives have long lamented, but he also pledged to fire fact-checkers and replace them with a more free speech-friendly community notes program.
Most remarkably, Mr. Zuckerberg’s statement said the quiet part out loud: Mr. Trump’s sweeping election win has sent an earthquake throughout the social media landscape, offering a clear mandate that the First Amendment should be heralded and upheld.
And in the era of cancel culture, social media bans and free speech flaps, Meta’s upcoming moves signal that the progressive privilege dominating our informational spheres has likely been irreparably damaged and rendered impotent.
“The recent elections … feel like a cultural tipping point towards once again prioritizing speech,” Mr. Zuckerberg admitted in his video statement before affirming Meta’s plans to “restore free expression” on its platforms.
Regardless of whether Meta’s change of heart is rooted more in self-preservation than any semblance of authentic laurels, the shift could reopen Facebook and other platforms to the possibility of fostering fair dialogue. At the very least, both sides could finally have a place at the digital table, pending Mr. Zuckerberg’s full implementation of the promised changes.
It’s certainly disturbing to consider that free speech at any point wasn’t being prioritized. After all, the First Amendment is the bedrock of American culture, and its erosion is dangerous. Love or hate Mr. Trump, there’s no denying that Mr. Zuckerberg’s admissions reveal the undeniable impact the president-elect already has on freedom and liberty.
In some ways, it’s hard not to see the 2024 election as a national referendum on the First Amendment. While the progressive side of the aisle has long hidden under the guise of freedom and open speech for all, rhetoric can only take the Democratic Party so far.
The almost endless barrage of attacks against faith, prayer and free speech — and the bizarre escalation of these evils — has obliterated this narrative, with these assaults coming almost exclusively from the progressive tent.
People can hide behind pleasantries and empty words for only so long, as the public — by millions of votes — seemed to wake up to the left’s incredibly disturbing efforts to curb speech, shut down debate and punish anyone even remotely questioning liberal talking points.
Other economic and cultural issues certainly tipped the scales, but the pace at which people are tripping over themselves to more willfully express their views shows just how strangling our ideological suppression — and self-censorship — had become.
Circling back to Mr. Zuckerberg, his video is perhaps one of the most dazzling examples showing the depths of Mr. Trump’s cultural impact. The Meta CEO explained in the video that the media’s “nonstop” claims that misinformation “was a threat to democracy” led his company to take steps to try to help.
Tragically, he said these efforts led to “politically biased” fact-checkers who have “destroyed more trust than they’ve created,” and that the end result became a social media stratosphere in which a mainstream discourse could no longer be appropriately fostered.
“What started as a movement to be more inclusive has increasingly been used to shut down opinions and shut out people with different ideas — and it’s gone too far,” Mr. Zuckerberg admitted.
And he’s not alone. Other more benign — yet important — examples show that the veil of panic and fear over punishment for misaligning oneself with liberal talking points is lifting. In addition to the social media shakeup, it seems Mr. Trump has also helped make comedy great again, with numerous performers seemingly unafraid to quip and quibble about the Democrats.
On New Year’s Eve, comedian Whitney Cummings roasted both CNN and the Democrats during a now-viral appearance on the news network. After mocking CNN’s viewership to anchor Anderson Cooper’s face, she offered a political take that might have seemed unimaginable not all that long ago.
“The Democrats couldn’t hold a primary this year. They were too busy holding up a body,” Ms. Cummings said, criticizing the decision to switch President Biden out with Vice President Kamala Harris. “The pro-choice party didn’t give their voters one when it came to their candidate.”
And comedian Nikki Glaser got some jabs in during her Jan. 5 stint hosting the 82nd Golden Globes. While heralding the supposed power of Hollywood, she slapped back at the comical inability of droves of elite actors and performers to successfully get Ms. Harris elected.
“You could really do anything … except tell the country who to vote for,” Ms. Glaser said. “But it’s OK, you’ll get ’em next time … if there is one. I’m scared.”
Even the media have been forced to be introspective, as many legacy outlets spent months in the lead-up to the election hammering Mr. Trump and feeding into the Democratic talking point that he is a “danger to democracy.”
Clearly, the electorate wasn’t persuaded and the media were left perplexed. Almost immediately after the election, CNN published an analysis titled, “Trump’s return to power raises serious questions about the media’s credibility.” Other outlets are exploring similar themes — and with good reason.
These questions and concerns were always there. It simply took Mr. Trump winning for the media to pause and ponder why people no longer seem to be listening to them.
It remains to be seen whether Mr. Trump’s second term will yield true success. But, for now, these free speech victories are bolstering the First Amendment and righting wrongs. And, for that, I’m eternally grateful.
• Billy Hallowell is a digital TV host and interviewer for Faithwire and CBN News and the co-host of CBN’s “Quick Start Podcast.” Mr. Hallowell is the author of four books.