President Trump has said he values his rapid-fire Twitter barrages because they allow him to speak directly to nearly 60 million followers — and his lawyers insist it is perfectly fine and legal if that conversation flows only one way when he blocks select critics.
How the First Amendment applies to the accounts of elected officials, including the president’s, is an evolving area of law. But Trump’s Twitter habits on his @realDonaldTrump account already have influenced how other elected and government officials nationwide interact with constituents online.
The debate about raucous social media exchanges between citizens and their government leaders is unfolding as digital spaces expand the public square.
In Wisconsin, a federal judge in January said three Republican state assemblymen violated free speech protections when they barred a liberal advocacy group from replying to their Twitter feeds. The judge is still deciding whether to formally prevent the politicians from ever again blocking the group.
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