Grab a seat, jury. Today's defendant did something special. So special I am bringing in my paralegal, because I need a witness for this one.
Anna, help me think this through out loud. The White House built a page on its own website naming the reporters and commentators it does not like.
Wait. On the actual dot gov website? With taxpayer money? That is not a press release, Madeline. That is a... that is a list.
Oh. Oh, I get it now. If the government keeps an official list of the reporters it wants punished, then the point was never to win the argument. The point is to end the argument.
Exhibit A, and you found it yourself. Whitehouse dot gov, slash, media offenders. A section titled Leftist Influencers. Names and everything.
Madeline, I came down to the press building to see it land in person, and I can tell you the reporters out here got the message loud and clear. Everybody is suddenly very careful.
That is the whole case. They did not write a rebuttal. They wrote a list. And a government that writes lists is telling you exactly who it is. Defense rests. You do not have to.
THEY WROTE A LIST.
- Not a rebuttal
- A government enemies list
- It tells you who they are
Sources
- [1] Military.com — White House Slams 'Leftist Influencers' on Official Website: Free Speech Battle Erupts
https://www.military.com/white-house-targets-leftist-influencers-on-official-trump-admin-website - [2] The White House — Media Offenders: Leftist Influencers
https://www.whitehouse.gov/media-bias-publication/leftist-influencers/ - [3] Yahoo News — White House 'media offenders' list draws criticism from liberal influencers
https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/white-house-media-offenders-list-110000231.html - [4] ACLU — White House Retaliation Against Disfavored Reporters Puts U.S. in Dangerous Company
https://www.aclu.org/press-releases/aclu-to-federal-appeals-court-white-house-retaliation-against-disfavored-reporters-puts-u-s-in-dangerous-company - [5] FIRE — White House barring AP from press events violates the First Amendment
https://www.fire.org/news/white-house-barring-ap-press-events-violates-first-amendment - [6] The White House — Restoring Freedom Of Speech And Ending Federal Censorship
https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2025/01/restoring-freedom-of-speech-and-ending-federal-censorship/ - [7] Europe Says — White House Targets Online Commentators in 'Leftist Influencers' Section
https://www.europesays.com/3048535/