Federal appeals court judges in New York City heard arguments in a key First Amendment case last week on whether President Donald Trump can ban people from his personal Twitter account he uses to conduct presidential business. The plaintiffs say in their complaint that the president has established a public forum that would make “viewpoint-based exclusion” unconstitutional. Justice Department lawyers are representing Trump in this personal matter. The appeals court will have to decide the extent to which the First Amendment governs the social media. (The New York Times, March 28, 2019, by The Editorial Board)
With seven citizens, the Knight First Amendment Institute filed suit in July of 2017 to unblock his Twitter account. They argued that with the blocking, those who have not been blocked were left with a forum without dissenting views. Trump has claimed presidential immunity, that the First Amendment does not apply.