Trump supporters shout down liberal speakers

Based on a report from FIRE (Foundation for Individual Rights in Education), Stanley Kurtz provides what he calls a “man bites dog” story: the shout-down of California Attorney General, Xavier Becerra and California State Assembly Leader Ian Calderon — both liberals – by Pro-Trump, MAGA hat-wearing protesters. This occurred at Whittier College, alma mater of Richard Nixon, where Becerra was trying to explain his decision to sue the Trump administration for phasing out the DACA program.

The disruptors, who apparently were not students, shouted slogans like: “Build that wall,” “lock him up,” “respect our president,” and “American first.” Becerra’s question and answer session with Calderon was severely disturbed and cut short as a result.

Shout-downs of liberals and leftists by those on the right are just as intolerable as the more standard case in which lefty students shout down conservative speakers. They show that in a deeply divided country, curbing free speech for some could easily mean curbing free speech for all.

As Stanley concludes: “If we don’t stop the epidemic of shout-downs now, chaos and civil conflict may follow someday soon.”

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