Dem Sen. Ben Cardin falsely claims the First Amendment doesn't protect you 'if you espouse hate'

Democrat Ben Cardin has been a U.S. Senator since 2007. Before that, he served in the U.S. House of Representatives for 20 years. That’s a pretty long congressional career. Certainly long enough to have a keen understanding of our Bill of Rights.

And yet, 35-plus years in politics evidently still hasn’t been enough time for Ben Cardin:

.@SenatorCardin: "If you espouse hate, if you espouse violence, you're not protected under the First Amendment. I think we can be more aggressive in the way that we handle that type of use of the internet." pic.twitter.com/t38Myy93ZI

— The Hill (@thehill) December 29, 2022

And we should be more aggressive … why, exactly? Because Europe is more aggressive in cracking down on free speech? Last time we checked, Europe doesn’t have a First Amendment. That right there is a great argument against taking our cues on rights from Europe.

But yeah. This business about not being protected under the First Amendment “if you espouse hate” is some steaming BS.

Misinformation: https://t.co/z6ZDTA7H2q

— Caleb Howe (@CalebHowe) December 29, 2022

Even misinformation is protected by the First Amendment. That’s good news for Ben Cardin.

And Ben Cardin is bad news for the rest of us.

There is no “hate speech” exception to the First Amendment. https://t.co/qoieTeFCy3

— FIRE (@TheFIREorg) December 29, 2022

Not last time we checked. Or ever.

well, this is wrong. christ. https://t.co/vf0mOa3PMH

— kaitlin (@thefactualprep) December 29, 2022

This is flatly wrong. The Supreme Court has made it clear that there is no hate speech exception to the First Amendment. Advocacy of violence is usually protected when not inciting imminent lawless action.

That Maryland’s senior senator would not understand this is shocking.

— Walter Olson (@walterolson) December 29, 2022

Hate speech is absolutely protected by the First Amendment—explicitly so, according to the Supreme Court. Embarrassing when people don't know this, moreso when it's a U.S. senator. https://t.co/CKeppkQrcg

— Robby Soave (@robbysoave) December 29, 2022

It’s entirely possible that Cardin doesn’t know this. It’s also possible — and probably even more likely — that he knows full well that the First Amendment also protects “hate speech” and is purposely trying to deceive Americans.

Cardin has a J.D. from the University Maryland School of Law and supposedly graduated at the top of his class.

He knows it. He understands it. He just doesn’t give a hoot about the Constitution.

— Ranjit Singh (@AuthorSingh) December 29, 2022

Oh, there should be no doubt whatsoever that he doesn’t give a hoot about the Constitution.

That's not what the Constitution says. He knows this. And he's a US Senator. JFC https://t.co/mTbXtz1gm0

— The Truth About Guns (@guntruth) December 29, 2022

A *Democratic* U.S. Senator.

Everything that @SenatorCardin says here about the First Amendment is a demonstrable lie.

But this shouldn’t be surprising since a core plank of the Dem Party – not an ancillary one but a core – is state greater censorship of online political speech: https://t.co/3cClnPr0o1

— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) December 29, 2022

Pathetic.

Maybe we should force Congressmen who can't pass a basic civics test to resign. https://t.co/zPS9RE3Rqp

— Boo (@IzaBooboo) December 29, 2022

If Ben Cardin can’t pass a basic civics test, he should indeed resign. And if he can pass one and therefore knows that he’s peddling lies, well, he should still resign.

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Dem Sen. Ben Cardin’s message to the millions of Americans worried about even more powerful IRS is not remotely reassuring

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