Fears are growing about what a Trump presidency could mean for anyone who has ever dared to speak out against the convicted felon.
Notice: We understand that the collapse of America can be distressing to some American readers, but help is available. If you are suffering from a mental health crisis, you can call 988 to talk to someone.
People who dared to speak out against convicted felon Donald Trump are growing increasingly on edge. Thanks, in part, to a big assist from mainstream media, Trump has captured the presidency in a shocking and disastrous US election. In the days since, reality began sinking in for many who realize what the actual consequences of such an administration could bring. This includes some who are hoping to kill off free speech and end the open internet. Already, Fox News has floated the idea of death sentences for prosecutors that went after Trump. In addition to this, there were threatening messages being sent to women and people of colour as well.
All of this already highlights how imperilled free speech (among other rights) has truly become. If you dare to speak out against Trump, regardless of the legitimacy of the criticisms, you’ll pay a huge price for it. While Trump may be busy picking his cabinet for how he intends on running America into the ground (such as possible political interference in the Federal Reserve), high profile people who have spoken out against Trump are growing increasingly on edge as they fear for their own personal safety. From CNBC:
Olivia Troye, a former Trump administration official who denounced him in a speech at the Democratic convention in August, was boarding a plane recently when a passenger looked at her and said: “Your days are numbered.”
Not wanting to escalate a bad situation, she said nothing, but the troubling encounter is emblematic of the hostility she’s faced as a recognizable and vocal critic of Trump. Now, with Trump returning to the White House, she is beset by newfound fears that he, his appointees or supporters could try to punish her for speaking out.
“I’m worried that I’ll be targeted by him and a lot of people in his circle,” Troye said in an interview. “They very much know who I am. And I’m concerned for my family.”
She has plenty of company. For some who’ve run afoul of Trump, the election results have sparked fresh worries that he may enter office looking for retribution.
During the campaign, Trump has made different statements about whether he might target people who’ve upset him. What he’s said can be construed in different ways. He gave a speech last year hours after he was charged with mishandling classified documents and said that if elected, he would “appoint a real special prosecutor to go after the most corrupt president in the United States of America: Joe Biden and the entire Biden crime family.”
These developments are extremely troubling to people like myself. I’ve spent my entire career analyzing various digital policies, bills, and laws, and have shared my open criticism of many of them (and sometimes support). It didn’t matter what political party was in power and whether I agreed with them or not. The only things that mattered is what impact such policies would have on things like digital rights and the integrity of the open internet. While I did worry about the rich and powerful filing SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) lawsuits or threatening legal action (which did happen on Freezenet), I didn’t feel like I was going to be personally physically harmed by my writing.
That’s the thing that has changed with the incoming Trump presidency. All bets are off. If a policy moves forward that I think would be a net harm to the public, and I become vocal about my opposition, is someone, or the authorities, going to come after me for the crime of being critical towards Trump? I do know I have mitigating factors such as being in Canada and being somewhat low profile (probably the first time I was actually thankful for that, actually). That doesn’t necessarily mean I don’t have reason to worry about the rising tide of fascism in the United States where high profile political opponents are being threatened with repercussions for simply speaking out.
The strategy, of course, is easy to see. Much like file-sharing lawsuits, the idea is that high profile critics would have their proverbial heads mounted on pikes as a warning to others who would consider doing what they did. The messaging would be clear: you are not allowed to speak your mind unless you completely agree with everything Trump says or does. That is a huge threat to free speech because it would be effective for some and coerce them into self-censorship.
The real question here is how far will Trump and his sycophants take things. Truth be told, I think that is anyone’s guess at this point.
Notice: We understand that the collapse of America can be distressing to some American readers, but help is available. If you are suffering from a mental health crisis, you can call 988 to talk to someone.
