President Donald Trump has claimed that one of his top priorities is "ending the unconstitutional censorship by the federal government." On its face, this is a noble goal: the First Amendment, which prohibits the government from limiting our ability to speak, is the cornerstone of our democracy. But everybody supports free speech when it is convenient for them – the real question is who is willing to protect that goal when it isn’t convenient for them. 

Since taking office, Trump has made some strides toward protecting free speech. He opened up the White House Press Room to podcasters and livestreamers so that Americans can access political news from a wider variety of viewpoints. He also delayed the impending TikTok ban, protecting a critical platform for debate and expression.  

But anyone who has followed Trump’s career knows that, like many politicians, his promises to eradicate censorship sometimes ring false: this is also the president that ordered federal law enforcement to quell peaceful protests in 2020, and the one that issued the executive order that became the basis for a historic wave of educational censorship.  

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