We all know that Democrats have a problem with the First Amendment. They also think they’re above the law. The latest example of this was the hearing of the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday, where Democrats attempted to pressure journalist Matt Taibbi into revealing his sources related to the Twitter Files.
Taibbi is a left-leaning, award-winning author and investigative reporter who has been involved in the public release of the Twitter Files, which are internal Twitter documents revealing alleged wrongdoing between Twitter and government agencies.
At the hearing, Democratic Rep. Sylvia Garcia of Texas asked Taibbi when Elon Musk first contacted him about writing the Twitter Files. However, Taibbi couldn’t answer the question without revealing his sources, to which Garcia said “I just need a date, sir.”
Taibbi responded that he could not give it to her because it is a question of sourcing, and he is a journalist and does not reveal his sources. When Garcia pressed further, Taibbi said she was free to conclude what she wanted.
The chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, Republican Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio, then stepped in and stated, “No, he can. He’s a journalist.” This spurred Democratic Del. Stacey E. Plaskett of the Virgin Islands to say “No he can’t.”
This exchange is a stark reminder of how Democrats are willing to trample on the First Amendment and free press to get what they want. It’s also a reminder of why it’s so important to protect journalists and their sources in order to ensure that we can continue to have a free press.
Big tech political censorship has also been a major issue in recent years, and the fact that Democrats are attempting to pressure journalists into revealing their sources shows that this is a problem that needs to be addressed.
Watch
After Rep. Stacey Plaskett claimed they are not trying to get @mtaibbi to reveal his sources, Rep. Sylvia Garcia (D-TX) once again tries to get him to reveal his sources. pic.twitter.com/ECsl643EAr
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) March 9, 2023
The hearing quickly descended into chaos and it’s clear that Democrats are willing to do whatever it takes to get the information they want, regardless of the consequences. This should be a warning to all journalists and citizens that our First Amendment rights are under attack and that we must protect them.
Erica Carlin is an independent journalist, opinion writer and contributor to several news and opinion sources. She is based in Georgia.