There's a chilling underbelly to these lawsuits. George Zimmerman is suing Pete Buttigieg and Elizabeth Warren. Tulsi Gabbard filed suit against Hillary Clinton. Devin Nunez would sue Twitter to shut down what he feels are defamatory statements.
Do not let it go unnoticed President Trump has encouraged these types of lawsuits. And, do not let it go unnoticed that the freedoms of a nation hinge on the right to criticize. Nunez's case has been thrown out, I believe. But, I do wonder that these types of lawsuits might gain traction with the courts.
Take the lawsuit by One America New against MSNBC's Rachel Maddow. Maddow called something "Russian propaganda," and that drew a lawsuit against her.
If we reach a point where you cannot speak harshly about the the president, or you cannot say Zimmerman's shooting of Trayvon Martin was racist -- that becomes an illegal opinion -- then, yes, freedom of speech is in jeopardy -- great jeopardy.
And, when the president of the nation is endorsing such lawsuits, and there is a groundswell of public opinion behind them, one fears they could somehow be given credence in the courts, and our freedom to criticize the state come tumbling down.
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