Free Speech, Media, Politics

Steve Forbes Assaulted at Book Signing Event

This month, we witnessed another assault on a public figure by an increasingly aggressive element of American politics. The book signing event was disrupted and Steve Forbes was assaulted by protesters who did not want others to be able to speak with or hear him. The fact that this was a literary event is particularly fitting given the effort of many to prevent free expression in our society. Ironically, the book is titled “Stolen Youth: How Radicals Are Erasing Innocence and Indoctrinating a Generation.” 

Forbes was present at a book signing for the new book written by authors Bethany Mandel and Karol Markowicz. Protesters disrupted the event by throwing drinks and books at him and toppling over a display. Forbes reportedly identified two of the protesters as Black Lives Matter activists who were yelling when they came into the event.

Mandel, a mother of six and CEO of Forbes, says that her newborn baby was also struck in the assault.

The attack came after years of pandering to the mob by politicians, writers, and academics. Political figures like Rep. Maxine Waters (D., Cal.) have called for activists to harass conservatives in public places and “push back on them and you tell them they’re not welcome anymore, anywhere.” Law professors like Georgetown Law Professor Josh Chafetz declared that “when the mob is right, some (but not all!) more aggressive tactics are justified.”

Blocking others from speaking is not the exercise of free speech. It is the very antithesis of free speech. Nevertheless, faculty have supported such claims. CUNY Law Dean Mary Lu Bilek showed how far this trend has gone. When conservative law professor Josh Blackman was stopped from speaking about “the importance of free speech,”  Bilek insisted that disrupting the speech on free speech was free speech. (Bilek later cancelled herself and resigned).

This dangerous trend in academia is discussed in my law review article, Jonathan Turley, “Harm and Hegemony: The Decline of Free Speech in the United States”, Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy.

Someone is going to be hurt as politicians, professors, and pundits fuel this rage. Forbes is 75 years old and, while he appears in good health, this type of assault can easily trigger a medical emergency for many individuals due to age or preexisting conditions. It is incredibly irresponsible and reprehensible to encourage such public confrontations.

123 thoughts on “Steve Forbes Assaulted at Book Signing Event”

  1. The “kinetic protesters” are hitting off without consequences. This has to stop. Does facial recognition only work one way?

    1. oldmanfromkansas,
      If I were to wager, they are awaiting to be issued their talking points from the DNC home office.
      Likely it will go something like,
      “Turley is being disingenuous, pandering to his Fox news, MAGA readers, stirring up the so call age of rage with his followers, as there is nothing to see here at all, as these people are just expressing their 1stA rights, that Turley supposedly defends while being one of the greatest censors in all of human recorded history!”
      Or something like that.

      1. they are awaiting to be issued their talking points from the DNC home office

        Upstate – You may be onto something there. If so, someone at the DNC slept late. They don’t usually wait this long.

  3. The final straw for me was Biden saying, with his actual mouth, that it’s ‘MAGA’ Republicans wanting to defund the police. 🙄🙄 Add in Nikki Fried’s antics about how Republicans are to blame for porn in schools because they didn’t stop Dems from putting them there in the first place, and you would literally have to be brain dead or vacuum sealed in the most insular bubble imaginable to not realize the Dems are now a mendacious regime. They and their cohort have collectively not uttered a single true statement since 2016 (I would argue before then, but to be generous. . .), not a one, and indeed, these woke, young Maoists/Marxists are their useful idiot foot soldiers willing to do anything to anyone.

    I have also noticed that all non-Dems are beginning to regularly be lumped together by name (Republicans, Libertarians, etc.) as evil incarnate in ‘the narrative’.

    It will only escalate, bit by bit, they will not relent. Think very carefully about what kind of world you or your kids or grandkids want to live in, whoever you may be.

    1. The lumping together of everyone not on the left has been going on for a long time.

      I am libertarian – not republican. There are some posts by those on the Right here I challenge, and some I ignore.
      I have never voted for Trump, and only rarely for republicans. I actually voted for a black democrat with strong libertarian leanings once – but I doubt he is still a democrat.

      Today the right is NOT the real threat to the country. And not likely to be for some time in the future.
      I do not need to correct every mistake every poster on the right here makes.

      But the left is dangerous. The threat to our rights today – is from the left not the right.

      I have some problems with some libertarian groups – because they remain fixated on the inconsequential threats from the right.

      I have said repeatedly – Trump was not a great president – and he was not.
      He is merely the greatest president of the 21st century.
      What is disturbing is how bad Bush, Obama, and Biden have been.

      I have no need to attack Trump for his problems – others do a wonderful job of that.
      A completely over the top jobs.
      But I will defend him when he is right.
      Though the threat from the left is more important.

      If I could I would have both Trump and Biden lose in 2020.
      As I said before – I did not vote for him.
      But if the only choice I had was Trump or Biden – the choice is easy – Biden is by far the greater evil,
      and he has proven worse than I expected.

      I have no “final straw” with Biden – he has been lying his entire life.
      He is also the most perfect example of someone who wants power rather than believes in anything.

      He has said and done throughout his life whatever he has needed to do to gain power.
      His actual politics have been radically different from those of the rest of his life.
      But his guiding principle – More personal power is unchanged.

      And Even Obama grasped that he is incompetent.

      “Never underestimate Joe’s ability to F#$K things up. ”

      Now that F#$K up is president.

      1. @John

        Yes, John, the broad brush the left’s opposition is being painted with these days is indeed different. I appreciate your comment, but there are elements in play here in the 21st century that you do not acknowledge (something of the scope of modern chicanery wasn’t even possible in our former, unconnected and unwired world), and though you are certainly entitled to share them, some of your statements are a just a tad pedantic, if not outright arrogant, IMO. Not a whole lot of what you responded with is news to anybody, no offense, and neither was it the point. In a sense, this is no longer even about *politics*.

        1. I am open to reasonable debate from the right or the left.

          With respect to what I think are your claims about technology – True and not new.

          Technology is an accelrator – and it has been forever – certaintly since the start of the industrial revolution.

          While I would likely agree with you on some of the problems that technology has been causing since the 90’s,
          History tells us that technology is always disruptive – always causes problems and always has more benefits than harms.
          I would argue as an example that Government has been growing and reducing our freedom constantrly through my whole life – but that at the same time I am more free today than any other time in history.

          Both are possible concurrently – Technology is increasing freedom faster than government is decreasing it.
          We would be better off still without government infringement.

          Further I am a firm beleiver that if we do not learn from history – then we will earn from failure.
          That is a more painful way to learn. But we will learn nonetheless.

          The failure of the left is inevitable. The ideas of the left are both non-functional and contradictory.
          But as a nation we are better to reject the left sooner, rather than later – waiting for the failure to be large enough.

          Of course much of what I write is not news to reaonable people who have a decent education and the intelligence and skills to benefit from it.
          Frankly those here should not be reading my posts.
          They should read JS Mill, or Locke or Adam Smith or Nozick or Freidman, or Coase, or Kant, or ……

          Of course I come accross as Arrogant – speaking the truth is arrogant – it always has been – especially today.
          I am not wrong often, and when it is evident that I am I will correct.

          I would advise those on the left to consider something – My track record for accuracy is far greater than theirs.
          But I am not so arrogant and stupid as to believe I can run the world. Yet those who can not clean their own rooms, think they can dictate to the world how to live – so who is more arrogant ?

          Finally – you are correct – much of what I post should not be news to anybody – but the fact is that it is.

          Either the Sen. Majortiy leader the AG of the US and he president are ignorant beyond beleif – or they are liars.
          Because most people do know that no Police were killed by J6 protestors.

          Yet I find myself having to repeat over and over well known FACTS to those on the left.

  4. Like a page out of “Life and Death in Shanghai,” one of the best nonfiction books about Mao’s Cultural Revolution. We can no longer refer to it simply as THE Cultural Revolution because now we have one underway here in America and another in the UK. These things never end well. Normality never returns without bloodshed first. Terrifying to see this happening in America. Xi is loving it.

    1. I would recommend Wild Swan’s also.
      That covers several generations of a family that was on the long march with Mao – and still ended up targeted by the Cultural revolution and ultimately coming to the US.

  5. Welcome to Democrats….Cultural Revolution(Mao’s style)

    Democrats are fascists…stealing ever more! People backing the Democrat Party, Antifa, BLM, etc are terrorists supporters, who HATE AMERICA and should be jailed!

  7. Dear Leftist,

    The doors to; Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela are Open
    and They are waiting for you with Open Arms to live in the Promised Land.
    Canaan can’t wait any longer. The Great and Powerful United States wishes to “Let these People go” They may leave, so that they may worship Communism.
    Go forth now and find your Rights of the individual, liberty, consent of the governed, political equality and equality in these flourishing Lands.
    Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela are ready to receive you.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Book_of_Exodus_Chapter_11-2_(Bible_Illustrations_by_Sweet_Media).jpg

    Plagues_of_the_United_States Exodus 7: Liberal Democratic Frogs
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Va%27eira#In_classical_rabbinic_interpretation

  8. To anyone familiar with the Chinese Cultural Revolution and the role of youth in that travesty of human rights, this will be deja vu. Another example of our “fine youth” is the disgusting display of stupidity by Stanford law students towards Federal Judge Kyle Duncan when he was invited by a conservative group to speak. Not only were the students rude and disrespectful, but their babysitter, a DEI administrator, delivered a condescending and manipulative speech worthy of an Oscar (and I say that in the most derogatory way). The Democrats have unleashed these feral brats on society hoping to make gains in the voting booth. The future of America is indeed grim.

    1. PRECISELY!!!! It’s like the opening of “Life and Death in Shanghai.” History does repeat itself. Sadly, it is repeating itself in our country. I truly never expected to see this. And, like the “good” Germans and the generals of the inept German resistance who sat on their hands all through the 1930s, Americans do nothing but complain and state how outraged they are at this behavior. All of our outrage in comment sections will do nothing but make us targets. Be afraid. Be very afraid.

    2. An examination of the Stanford event from a slightly different perspective.
      I don’t agree 100%, but it does shade the narrative from the right. I’m not a big fan of narratives.

    3. In 1977, I attended a function at Stanford to hear Milton Freeman give a speech at the Stanford Business School. There was a small group of students of the Young Democrats who disrupted his speech and ruined the evening for everyone. It was day that I left the Democrat Party,.and I have voted Republican ever since that evening. Nothing has changed in forty years.

  9. It’s bad enough that 84 year old blabbering Maxine Waters is encouraging public violence against conservatives, but when Law Professors start endorsing these kind of attacks you realize just how deep the communist indoctrination against free speech In America has gone. Conservatives should take Professor Chafetz’s own words to heart “when the mob is right, some but not all, aggressive tactics are justified”. It’s long past time to go kinetic and stand up for free speech. Thank you, Jonathan, for an excellent article.

    2. Thank you for the Chaefitz Quote.

      Another great source is the declaration of independence,
      which says exactly the same thing.

    3. It’s long past time to go kinetic and stand up for free speech.

      Skyraider,
      Conservatives and especially Christian conservatives have been under physical attack for quite some time. I belong to an organization that assists Christian nonprofits and houses of worship to harden their security infrastructure, to include vulnerability assessments, Non-Profit Security Grants, security training and consulting. We have many current and former/retired LEO’s and military joining for this security mission. Most of the former and retired members work separate security contracts nationally and internationally. Kinetic is their business. Just know that while we are going to have incidents like this grabbling the headlines, there are many more threats that have been unsuccessful because we have private entities standing up against them. They aren’t getting the headlines and they prefer it that way.

  10. This will not end until it is made plain that the use of force to prevent those who would shut down Constitutionally protected speech is perfectly legal.

    Perhaps after a few skulls get cracked when they try this crap and they will think twice. As it is now they know they can get away consequence free.

    1. “Perhaps after a few skulls get cracked when they try this crap and they will think twice.”

      Precisely!

      You assault me. I pick up a gun. “Debate” settled.

      Is that a “disproportionate” response? Absolutely. It disproportionately favors my self-preservation.

  11. I am looking forward to Professor Turley writing a column about the DEI administrator at Stanford, actually I believe she is the head of DEI at the school, shouting down an invited speaker at Stanford this week. The speaker is a Judge in the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals and he was invited to speak to the law school, a great invite for any law school. This DEI person got up and started to harangue the invited guest, joined in the shouting down of him and forced the guest to leave.

    When you have a DEI department their entire reason for existence is to find or create trouble and divisiveness or else there wouldn’t be any reason for her to be hired.

    1. Another data point, exposing the FBI lie about the greatest threat to America is right wing extremism. The left is always predicting some calamity due to conservatives, but it always ends up the left is the major offender.

      Steve Scalise and Rand Paul have some experiences on point. You can talk to Justice Kavanaugh about threats of violence.

      Kavanaugh is good example of how corrupt the FBI and DoJ operate. Refusing to arrest and charge protestors in front of Judges homes. Clearly illegal by statute.

    2. hullbobby: Here’s the video of that event. Only watch with a vomit bucket nearby, as it will certainly turn your stomach. The DEI administrator — or, babysitter — is a former ACLU administrator, so it’ no surprise that she should now be speaking with a forked tongue, telling the group how much she supports free speech while signaling to the dumbed-down students that they can leave if they don’t feel safe. This is a stomach-twisting display of ignorance and con artistry.

      79baa14?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email

      1. Thanks Gio! The ACLU once defended NAZIs right to march in Skokie, a Jewish city. The left destroys everything they touch.

      2. Thank you Gio for posting that.
        Who are the adults in the room?
        Not the admin dean.
        Not the protestors.
        One of these days, they are going to take it too far and do something spectacularly dumb, and someone is going to get hurt.

      3. Her entire argument is that she was “uncomfortable.” When did a university’s mission change to protecting its students and staff from discomfort? It’s supposed to be a free-wheeling debate of ideas, which by definition is bound to make some people uncomfortable. Growth as a student takes place by learning to handle such ideas in an intelligent way. Stanford is promoting coddled, soft students who will leave the university with little value to society.

      4. 100% cult methods are being applied to these students. They are subsequently and predictably behaving just like the folks at Jonestown or the mindless Hitler Youth if Nazi Germany. They are at a point where they are incapable of independent thought or action. This is sad that this “teacher” is allowed to radicalize them on the taxpayer and tuition paying students and parents.

        “I’ve made up my mind! Don’t confuse me with the facts!!”

        These will be our future leaders? The only way to combat these cult members is by facts and truth. That is why the teacher is shutting down a person with an opposing view.

    3. Hullobby, all good points! An unfortunate byproduct of the intrusion of DEI officers into our campus culture is the increased costs of a college education. A big factor here is administrative bloat.

  12. Bilek later cancelled herself and resigned.

    This is a bit misleading as, in context, it suggests her self-cancellation was due to referring to the shutting down of speech as free speech. In fact it was because she referred to herself as a “slaveholder” in some unrelated dispute.

    2. LOL…that is funny.
      Machiavellians who USE Centralized power to destroy Opponents don’t allow courage. The USSR gulags were FILLED with courageous people! Mao’s cultural revolution targeted very courageous people

      Republicans NEED TO REMOVE Centralized POWER…cut funding to various Democrat powers.
      GUT DC
      GUT Wall Street
      Gut public Unions funding of Democrats
      Gut funding to colleges and cities!

      Power to the PEOPLE

  14. This is how it evolves.
    Started with on line mobs. Then cancel culture. Up it to shouting down speakers and stopping discussion and debate.
    Recall mobs roaming the streets, demanding people to raise their fist in support of BLM?
    Now escalate to interrupting a book signing. Does not sound like much, or serious harm.
    But what is next?
    This is how Mao’s Red Guard behaved.
    Starts out small and seemingly benign.
    Then it escalates. Little by little. Bit by bit. Till it is acceptable to punch someone for the political sign they had on their front lawn last election.
    Or the vehicle they drive.
    The job they hold.
    For not showing overt support for some small interest group.
    They will continue to push and push until the adults in the room has enough.

      1. Democrats are fighting their 2nd Civil War against America. The party should be abolished!

  15. “This weekend, we witnessed another assault on a public figure by an increasingly aggressive element of American politics. The book signing event was disrupted and Steve Forbes was assaulted by protesters who did not want others to be able to speak with or hear him.”
    (JT)

    “Violent and often disorderly, the [Brown Shirts (Storm Troopers)] were primarily responsible for the protection of leading Nazis and disrupting other political opponents’ meetings, although they often had a free rein on their activities.” (www.theholocaustexplained.org/the-nazi-rise-to-power/the-nazi-rise-to-power/sa-and-ss/)

    Nazi Germany’s dictatorship had its street thugs. And America’s Leftist tyrants have theirs: BLM and Antifa.

  16. And the left dares to call conservatives fascists.. They are the very definition of the word.

    1. This should be republicans plan
      -Impeach entire Cabinet, President and VP
      -Cut 50% of Fed gov
      -Move 75% of DC to Heartland
      -Remove entire leadership of DOJ, IRS and FBI
      -5% tax Gross wall street trans & money goes offshore
      -Tax all non-profits anyone gets $100k
      -Ban fed aid/loans cities & college
      -Jail Russian Hoax, COVID liars & Biden protectors, etc
      -Ban public unions $ politics, only voters can fund politics
      -Remove tax credits renewables, affordable housing, etc

  17. Free speech advocates need to stop protesting these actions on philosophical principles and think they can win the argument. The left does not give a rat’s rear end about free speech. They are only interested in power. Quaint notions like the First Amendment and tolerance for opposing views are roadblocks to their acquisition of total control over society. Destruction of these roadblocks (i.e., constitutional rights) is a necessity for them to succeed. After COVID, the cat is out of the bag. People need to realize that we are living in a dangerous time. There is a concerted effort to elimiiante First Amendment rights.

  18. A few years ago, the library would have called law enforcement. The thugs would have been arrested and booked. They would have been detained and off the street. The event would have continued and that would have been that.

    Now the criminals run amuck and they know nobody will do anything about it. These are not “protesters” with legitimate concerns. These are criminal gangs who are “rent a mob” lemmings. I doubt any one of them has read a book or could make a legitimate argument. Someone called them and told them to harass and disrupt.

    This is a hit job and letting this happens unpunished is dangerous as it will only get worse and will spread further, like maligned cancer.

    1. We boomers let the stoners from Woodstock educate and entertain our children while we maintained two-income households.

      That was a mistake. We should have paid attention. Now, too many kids are violent, clueless neurotics. No surprise there.

      “The hand that rocks the cradle…” We need to take back our kids from these groomers and grifters.

  19. Who went to jail for assault? This is past “harassment.” I have heard Mr Forbes in person and he is a polite, nice older man. And lobbing things at a baby?!
    Go throw things at Maxine Waters, see if you don’t end up in jail.

  20. As long as this lot are satisfied that there will be no serious consequences to their behaviors one can expect there to be more of the same.

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