How Trump s Allies Are Winning the War Over Disinformation – The New York Times

Waged in the courts, in Congress and in the seething precincts of the internet, that effort has eviscerated attempts to shield elections from disinformation in the social media era. It tapped into and then, critics say, twisted the fierce debate over free speech and the government s role in policing content.

Projects that were once bipartisan, including one started by the Trump administration, have been recast as deep-state conspiracies to rig elections. Facing legal and political blowback, the Biden administration has largely abandoned moves that might be construed as stifling political speech.

While little noticed by most Americans, the effort has helped cut a path for Mr. Trump s attempt to recapture the presidency. Disinformation about elections is once again coursing through news feeds, aiding Mr. Trump as he fuels his comeback with falsehoods about the 2020 election.

The censorship cartel must be dismantled and destroyed, and it must happen immediately, he thundered at the start of his 2024 campaign.

The counteroffensive was led by former Trump aides and allies who had also pushed to overturn the 2020 election. They include Stephen Miller, the White House policy adviser; the attorneys general of Missouri and Louisiana, both Republicans; and lawmakers in Congress like Representative Jim Jordan, Republican of Ohio, who since last year has led a House subcommittee to investigate what it calls the weaponization of government.

via 1ft.io

The Times forgot to mention the underlying cause of this disinformation. Historically, the slave owner Thomas Jefferson and his little sidekick James Madison crafted the so-called “First Amendment”, that ultimate license of lies. Its misconceived notion of “freedom” for “individuals” empowered colonialists and settlers to spread false consciousness through the oppressed and oppressors alike.