The Atlantic

What a Direct Attack on Free Speech Looks Like

President Trump is threatening to punish universities for “radical left indoctrination.”
Source: Getty / The Atlantic

There’s a dangerous backlash against free speech brewing this week, in which a vindictive Twitter user, backed by mobs of followers, seeks to cow open discourse and instill fear in people who disagree with him.

Wait—don’t go! I’m not talking about The Letter! I’m talking about a missive from President Donald Trump Friday morning, which as of writing has more than 80,000 likes and more than 30,000 retweets:

The president’s message provides an interesting counterpoint to, or characterize the views of the (generally) opposing sides, but the dispute is about the of speech, and whether there is a healthy forum for openly debating ideas.

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