Kerby Anderson

We have learned over the last few years how the government and various media outlets have engaged in systematic censorship. It is one thing to talk about the problem of censorship. It is quite another to do something about it. A recent commentary by Katelynn Richardson provides a glimpse into what the incoming Trump administration plans to do about censorship.

Andrew Ferguson has been nominated by Trump as the new Federal Trade Commission chair. He said in a recent interview that Trump can cut off some censorship outright by prohibiting officials from participating with platforms and by cutting off funding for entitles that suppress speech.

Brennan Carr will head the FCC and has addressed concerns about censorship. In one of his interviews, he explained that one of his top priorities would be to “smash this censorship cartel.”

Harmeet Dhillon has been nominated to run the DOJ’s civil rights division. She worked with her firm on a case challenging the California Secretary of State’s Office coordination with Twitter to suppress speech.

Even Trump appointees who aren’t working directly on free speech will likely have an impact. Trump’s nominee for NIH is Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, who co-authored the Great Barrington Declaration that challenged COVID-19 lockdowns and responses. And HHS nominee Robert F. Kennedy filed a lawsuit against the Biden administration for alleged First Amendment violations.

Of course, much of the fight against censorship will come from Donald Trump himself. In one campaign video he promised to “shatter the left-wing censorship regime.” He will likely sign an executive order banning agencies from collaborating with social media to suppress speech.

This is good news for free speech in America.