I have previously written about the European Union’s (EU) effort to use its infamous Digital Services Act (DSA) to force companies like X to censor Americans, including on postings related to our presidential election. This is a direct assault on our free speech values, and yet the Biden-Harris Administration has not raised a peep of objection. Now, the EU is threatening to set these confiscatory fines with reference to revenue from companies other than X, including Space X.
The EU has warned Musk that it is allowed to hit online platforms with fines of as much as 6% of their yearly global revenue for refusing to censor content, including “disinformation.” The inclusion of companies like Space X is ridiculous but perfectly consistent with the effort of the EU to use the DSA to regulate speech in the United States and around the world.
The EU is arguing that as a “provider” Musk’s entire business portfolio can be included in the fine calculation. It is ridiculous and chilling. Musk’s other companies have nothing to do with the platform policies of X. It is simply an unhinged coercive measure designed to break Musk.
X has objected:
“X Holdings Corp. submits that the combined market value of the Musk Group does not accurately reflect X’s monetization potential in the Union or its financial capacity, In particular, it argues that X and SpaceX provide entirely different services to entirely different users, so that there is no gateway effect, and that the undertakings controlled by Mr. Elon Musk ‘do not form one financial front, as the DMA presumes.'”
However, the abusive calculation is precisely the point. The EU censors are making an example of Musk. If they break us, no company or executive could hope to defy them. They are being cheered on in this effort by an anti-free speech movement that includes America politicians and pundits.
One of the lowest moments came after Elon Musk bought Twitter on a pledge to restore free speech protections, Clinton called upon European officials to force Elon Musk to censor American citizens under the DSA. This is a former democratic presidential nominee calling upon Europeans to force the censorship of Americans.
She was joined recently by another former democratic presidential nominee, John Kerry, who called for government crackdowns on free speech.
In my new book on free speech and various columns, I write about the DSA as one of the greatest assaults on free speech in history. As I wrote in the book:
“Under the DSA, users are ’empowered to report illegal content online and online platforms will have to act quickly.’ This includes speech that is viewed not only as ‘disinformation’ but also ‘incitement.’ European Commission Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager has been one of the most prominent voices seeking international censorship. At the passage of the DSA, Vestager was ecstatic in declaring that it is ‘not a slogan anymore, that what is illegal offline should also be seen and dealt with as illegal online. Now it is a real thing. Democracy’s back.’”
The pressure on Musk’s other companies has also been ramping up in the United States. Recently, the California Coastal Commission rejected a request from the Air Force for additional launches from Vandenberg Air Force Base. It is not because the military agency did not need the launches. It was not because the nation and the community would not benefit from them. Rather, it was reportedly because, according to one commissioner, Musk has “aggressively injected himself into the presidential race.”
It is all part of Musk mania and the need for the anti-free speech movement to break the only executive who has defied the pressure from this alliance of media, academic, corporate, and government officials.
As I have discussed previously, there is a crushing irony in all of this. The left has made “foreign interference” with elections a mantra of claiming to be defending democracy. Yet, it applauds EU censors threatening companies that carry an interview with a targeted American politician. It also supports importing such censorship and blacklisting systems to the United States. When you agree with the censorship, it is not viewed as interference, but an intervention.
Anti-free speech advocates like Clinton are now going old school. After trying to convince Americans to embrace censorship and blacklisting, they are now praising governments like Brazil and the EU for directly imposed speech regulations on American citizens.
The question is where is the Biden-Harris Administration and Congress. You have a foreign government forcing the censorship of speech of American citizens. We routinely impose reciprocal trade barriers on countries for interfering with our markets. Yet, when a government seeks to curtail political speech in the United States, our leaders are silent.
Another reason to elect Trump, he’ll get tough with all our enemies including the EU & the Labour Govt of UK.
With any luck, the EU will push Russia too far, and many of these problems will be solved.
Jonathan: There is is another law DJT is violating. It’s PEPA which stands for the “Pre-election Presidential Act” of 2010. It requires that major candidates for president enter into memorandums of understanding with both the sitting President and the GSA to endure an orderly and smooth transition of power. The MOUs to Biden were due 9/1. The MOUs to the GSA were due 10/1. The Harris campaign has complied with both requirements. The DJT campaign has not.
Yesterday Jamie Raskin, the ranking chair of the House Oversight Committee, wrote a letter to the Trump campaign pointing out: “Breaking precedent set by every other presidential candidate since 2010, you have rejected these resources and refused to commit to a smooth transition”. Raskin suggested DJT’s failure to enter into the MOUs may be an attempt to circumvent fundraising rules that “puts limits on private contributions on the transition effort and require public reporting”.
So why has DJT refused to enter into the required PEPA MOUs? Two reasons. DJT does not want any limits on fundraising right up to the day of the election. He wants to offer jobs in a new administration for those who make massive donations. In addition, DJT has refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he loses. He said so at Economic Club of Chicago last week.
DJT has a game plan if he loses again. DJT will refuse to concede defeat. It will be a repeat of the 2020 election–but this time on steroids! DJT knows the stakes this time around are much higher. If he loses he will go to prison!
Trump is not submitting the names of his appointees so as to protect them from 3 letter agency investigations.
Dennis, the supreme court long ago established that the only requirements for the presidency are those in the constitution.
You can rant and rave about this – but it is entirely irrelevant.
Trump is constitutionally qualified to be president, and if elected, he will become president upon inauguration on Jan 21, 2025.
That will occur regardless of all this nonsense you are fixated on.
Congress CAN NOT require anything of a candidate.
As YOU noted Trump’s alleged non-compliance with some toothless edict of congress at most denies him some government resources.
As to “limits on fundraising” – that is a red herring. SCOTUS has found SOME limits of contributions directly to a campaign are constitutional,
but ONLY if the candidate accepts federal matching funds. The last candidate to accept Federal matching funds for the general election was John McCain. It is impossible to raise the nearly $1B that general elections cost today with the federal limits, therefore no general election campaign accepts federal matching funds anymore.
Separately, as a practical and legal matter it has never been possible to limit indirect contributions.
Humans are free to give however much money they wish to whoever they wish for whatever reason they wish.
I know that individual liberty is an anathema to you.
I know that you wish to micromanage everything.
No Trump did not refuse to commit to a peaceful transition of power.
Trump has nothing to do with the transition of power – unless he wins.
It is only the Biden administration that can Fail to turn power over to the incoming administration.
He refused to do something stupid and accept whatever the alleged results of the election are unconditionally.
He explained that so long as the election is conducted without significant fraud he would accept the results.
Has Harris aggreed to accept the results even if they are rife with Fraud ?
Dennis
Of course Trump will refuse to accept defeat – the only one losing is Harris.
Harris is behind in ALL Battlegrounds by a full point on average,
She is only up nationwide by 0.2% – and that only because older polls are still factored in.
Trump is 8pts ahead of where he was at this time in 2020 and 5pts ahead of where he was in 2016.
No Trump is not going to prison – The only difference MAYBE between winning and losing is how quickly this lawfare ends.
I know this is hard for you to grasp, but Merchan delayed “sentencing” until after the election because either he dismissing the case, or higher courts do so for him. the only question is which ONE of dozens of grounds will be used to dismiss. In the highly unlikely instance the case does not get dismissed on a wide variety of procedural grounds – basically Merchan conducted a star chamber trial.
There remains the FACT that Bragg did NOT state a crime. Calling payments to a lawyer in your private business records a legal expense – is NOT a crime. It is not false, much less the actual fraud required.
As you seem completely unable to grasp – Left wing nuts can not make whatever they wish into a crime.
A crime requires intentionally or recklessly infringing on the actual rights of another by force or actual fraud.
The use of government power to knowingly prosecute someone for a non-crime is a crime.
Chutkan is playing her own games – for much the same reason – allow Smith to do as much violating all rules of procedure as possible, because after the election it will not matter – the case will have to be dismissed. The only question is whether Trump fires smith making the lawfare moot, or whether Chutckan, the DC court of appeals or SCOTUS dismisses this. Smith seems to beleive that word games allow him to evade the Supreme courts prior decisions – and Chutkan is for the moment playing along.
There is little left of Willis’s case – in the unlikely event she i still the Atlanta DA – much less an attorney after the election.
While it is unlikely she will be prosecuted – she has multiple instances of perjury. I would further not that the Trump election cases are not the only Willis cases going to h311 because of her misconduct.
The 11ct court of appeals is delaying because they have two choices – Confirm Cannon’s correct ruling – in which case – Smith will be removed as SC not merely in FL, but also in DC, or reject it and Trump instantly appeals to SCOTUS, which will affirm Cannon’s ruling. ‘
Dennis, Raskin has already been Very open that when Trump wins the election that he will do everything in his power to prove that the actions of the protestors on J6 2021 were legitmate by doing exactly the same himself and challenging Congresses certification of Trump.
Something that he is perfectly free to do, and that if he can get enough other representatives and Senators to go along – he can succeed at.
He can challenge the slates of electors from states he beleives were awarded improperly to Trump – though there MUST be an alternate slate if Raskin wishes to see that states EC votes assigned to Harris. I know you are clueless about this, but there is no such thing as Fake Electors.
Congress has 3 choices regarding the assignment of each states EC votes. Accept those of the certified electors, Accept those of the alternate electors, do not count the EC votes of that state. Congress can not willy nilly assign the EC votes of a state as it pleases.
Alternately Raskin may challenge Trump’s certifcation as president on A14S3 grounds. With that is an absurd claim – as there was no insurrection, it is still within the power of congress to do so – just as the house was free to impeach Trump over something that never occured.
In the highly unlikely event Raskin manages to do so – JD Vance will become president.
Regardless, the point is that the certification of the election by Congress is not ceremonial. Congress can – at great political risk, decide the outcome of a presidential election without any regard for he result of the general election.
And when Trump wins – Democrats are free to protest – in DC on J6 2025 and beg plead, demand that Congress refuse to certify Trump as president. That is their first amendment right. The idiotic claim that exercising it is insurrection is nonsense.
People are free to do things you or I beleive are stupid. Your dislike does not make something into a crime.
Dennis,
Logic eludes you.
Trump has made more money on the rise of DJT stock in the past month – now at 34.95 than he has received in campaign contributions.
You constantly try to pretend that Trump’s politics are about money.
This is absurd on so many levels.
First Trump makes more money privately than his campaign collects in donations. he has made more privately than the cost of all your lawfare against him – even if you win. Nor is campaign money – money in Trump’s pocket.
Trump can spend campaign money – on the campaign. I beleive he can spend it on his own transition team and inauguration. He can also pass any remains of his campaign warchest on to another political candidate – he can not keep it himself.
But lets assume for the sake of argument that he could. Trump is worth approximately $5B,
If he lives another 20 years and he burns $1M/day he still would not have spent it all.
As Adam Smith noted TWO HUNDRED AND FIFTY YEARS AGO, beyond a certain relatively low level of wealth, the uber rich – have no choice but to work for an invest in OTHERS.
A few days ago at McDonalds Trump asked if he could pay for the meals of people going through the drive up.
If he wanted he could have just paid $1M for the entire mcDonalds, given it away and still had enough left to repeat that every day for the rest of his life.
Trump is not after money – no matter how envious you are of his.
His Goal is to figuratively get himself on Mt Rushmore. To Join Reagan as one of the US’s greatest presidents.
If you want to know what he will do – read his platform.
Does Trump care greatly about the people he will be bringing into his administration ?
Absolutely. He has 4 years to “Make America Great Again”.
Worse on election he is a “lame duck”. He will have to deal with a republican party that immediately starts jockeying for position for 2028.
Additionally though he made many excellent choices in 2021, he also made many poor ones who stabbed him in the back.
To the best of his significant ability he is not going to repeat that in 2025.
I think that you can expect a better and far more loyal team in 2025.
I think you can expect to have 4 years of the left complaining about cuts to the people and budgets of the federal govenrment.
As well as a much deregulation as he can accomlish in 4 years.
BTW Dennis – according to leading investors b oth the stock market and the bond market have already priced in the high odds of a Trump victory.
Act Blue is now under investigation. Democrats always accuse others of what they are doing and then whine and cry like Dennis. Don’t worry Dennis, one day your mom will permit you to wear long pants.
“[T]he EU is not the U.S. and it’s a sovereign governing body that has its own rules and laws.”
That is called “legalism” — a blind acceptance of, and obedience to, the law. There is no attempt to analyze the justice or rationality of a particular law. The premise is: It’s the law. “Yours is not to question why. Yours is but to do or die.”
If you’re looking for intellectual analysis of such issues, avoid the Leftist commenters.
* People like Musk, Trump, Thiel and others are the big dogs in the weeds. The censorship issue is a double standard.
Econ- they’ve finally arrived at replacing 1lb with 8 oz at the price of 1lb. It’ll make it down to 4oz and mushrooms can actually be purchased at 2oz for 10 dollars. Those are just the prices for the poor of course.
Someone rent a uhaul and buy stuff at peso prices, come back in and sell the stuff at the little parking lot sales at decent prices. It all comes from Mexico anyway.
* The point is not only are the big dogs richer than everyone they have 50 IQ points or mire on the poor peons. Their territory is global. Want to pitch a fit? They’ll go elsewhere. They do now and that includes people like Xi. He’s a big dog investing, financing, building the largest dam in the world.
Your government would actually need to care about the poor. Harris is a cog in a me first poor people wheel who doesn’t care. A CEO heading the government sees the nation as a corporation. There’s the possibility it’ll be a good one. Harris knows nothing about anything.
You’re selling farmland to foreign nations? Quite a mess. There’s homeless Americans but soon there’ll be no citizenship so it’s just homeless people. Harris and clan are baddies.
Professor Turley: Can you write about the mutual legal assistance treaties/agreements between the US and the EU, and whether this EU behavior renders then “unconstitutional as applied?”
I second that Motion.
Read below if you want a really good laugh watching a grown man whine and snivel like a little beoch.
Jonathan: You are spending a lot of time defending Elon Musk–the guy who is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to get DJT elected. The guy who claimed he was doing his “civic duty” by registering people to voter but then refused to submit voter registrations for anyone he thought would vote Democratic. This is the same guy who is now offering $1 million a day in bribes to voters who will vote for DJT. As an immigrant Musk probably doesn’t know that in the US it is illegal to pay anyone to vote. It carries a $10,000 fine and up to 5 years in prison. And this is the guy you defend? The guy who thinks buying votes is a legitimate voting practice in the 2024 election?
“Jonathan: You are spending a lot of time defending Elon Musk”
Turley goes where the law story is – especially those about violating free speech rights.
Do not try to leverage Musk or anyone else to censor others and you will not be in the story.
Though this one is more complex and involves foreign election interference by the EU and UK.
“the guy who is spending hundreds of millions of dollars to get DJT elected. :”
Right – perfectly legal for US citizens to spend money on US elections.
Not legal for foreign governments to meddle with it.
“The guy who claimed he was doing his “civic duty” by registering people to voter but then refused to submit voter registrations for anyone he thought would vote Democratic. ”
First – Why should anyone beleive you ?
Next – you do know that Democrats have been doing exactly that all my life ?
There is no rule that says that when you choose to help others – your obligated to help left wing nuts.
“This is the same guy who is now offering $1 million a day in bribes to voters who will vote for DJT.”
Exactly how is it that he can KNOW someone voted for Trump ?
I would love for you to explain that, Because in 38 states it is illegal for the state to conduct an election such that it is even possible to find out how someone else voted.
If Musk is actually doing what you say – then all that would do is prove the allegations of fraud in 2020 were credible.
You can not have it both ways – you can not claim that Musk is engaged in election fraud and that election fraud is not possible.
“As an immigrant Musk probably doesn’t know that in the US it is illegal to pay anyone to vote.”
Actually it is impossibleto pay someone to vote for a specific candidate – or atleast it is supposed to be.
“It carries a $10,000 fine and up to 5 years in prison.”
Yup.
“And this is the guy you defend?”
Absolutely – because it i 100% certain that any claim you make is false.
The fact that you are claiming Musk is violating the law, means that he absolutely is not.
What it really means is that absent all YOUR spin Musk is doing something else that is illegal.
But glad to know that you understand that states are required to make it impossible for someone to KNOW how someone else voted.
“The guy who thinks buying votes is a legitimate voting practice in the 2024 election?”
That would be democrats, and Zuckerberg in 2020.
So now in 2024 your scared that Musk might be doing what you did in 2020 ?
Again if states just followed their own law and constitution, what you are claiming would not even be possible.
You have a lot of patience to answer these people, John. But they’re hopelessly infected with the leftist mind virus.
Dennis, how about some real crimes – Harris likely perjured herself under oath before congress when she plagarized another perons testimony almost word for word.
Then we have Schiff actually engaged in multiple counts of tax mortage fraud and election fraud.
By illegally claimng two different homes his primary residence for 2 decades.
KKKamla “Trump is Hitler” Harris is losing to a 78 year old charlatan. OMG!!!!!
The more pressing question is: will her husband slap her like he does to other
womenwomyn?Electoral College……Trump……Harris………Toss Ups
RCP Electoral Map………219………..215…………..104
https://www.realclearpolling.com/maps/president/2024/toss-up/electoral-college
Electoral College……Trump……Harris
No Toss Up States……312……..226
https://www.realclearpolling.com/maps/president/2024/no-toss-up/electoral-college
Michigan: Trump vs. Harris
DATE……………..TRUMP (R)………..HARRIS (D)…….. SPREAD
10/2 – 10/21…….Trump 48.0…….Harris 47.4…….. Trump +0.6
https://www.realclearpolling.com/polls/president/general/2024/michigan/trump-vs-harris
Absolutely astonishing that this is being allowed to take place. Not being allowed to share your opinion because some communist hacks are trying to control the information to their FRIGGING likings. F-EU
Some serious Trump derangement on display in the comments section today.
I think I speak for the majority of us in MAGA when I say I’m tired of democracy.
Then I strongly recommend that you do not vote.
Also consider moving to a less democratic country.
I hear North Korea may fit the bill with its lack of democracy.
You took him seriously. Just a troll with a lame attempt to smear Trump supporters.
This is a an actual republic.
Democracy does not mean freedom – it is just a different form of tyranny
Musk is open about what he sees as his flaws. Oh oh. Kamala is not, and Democrats hoped you wouldn’t learn a lot of them.
Here is yet ANOTHER plagiarism charge (which cost biden his first attempt) with explicit detail:
https://freebeacon.com/democrats/kamala-harris-plagiarized-pages-of-congressional-testimony-from-a-republican-colleague-plus-a-fictionalized-story-about-human-trafficking/
Harris wins with MINIMUM 340 electoral college votes.
Only in your dreams 😴 🛌 💤
If she won every single swing state – she is loosing in ALL of them right now,
That would still put her barely over 300.
If she loses EITHER PA or MI – and she is losing BOTH right now, she has no credible route to victory.
You must be basing your data on the Trafalgar Group poll, which is toward the bottom of the list in terms of reliability. In Michigan, Harris is ahead.
If you pay any attention to polls whatsoever you are an idiot.
The polls are meaningless. The last 3 election cycles prove this.
Do you remember the Red Wave of 2022.
Neither do I !!!!
Trafalgar is in the top three for reliability.
No, it is not.
Yes, it is.
In Michigan, Harris is
aheadgiving head– Willie Brown
Trafalgar is one of the most accurate pollsters, and so is Rasmussen, and they both have Trump ahead.
John Say
Firstly, the polls are meaningless. Pollsters openly admit it is almost impossible to do an accurate poll. Most people have cell phones with caller ID. Very few people answer calls they don’t recognize.
Secondly, abortion. AZ, MT. MO, NE, FL, NV, SD all have abortion rights initiatives on the ballot. They will all go to Harris by large margins. When deep red OH and KS recently had abortion rights on the ballot in off year and special elections, women turned out in massive numbers, even in off year. They will do so again in historically massive numbers to flip more red states.
Thirdly, early voting has been overwhelmingly women and Democrats. They are angry and turning out to vote against Trump who brags he was responsible for overturning Roe.
Fourthly, you are an idiot with significant psychiatric disorders.
Idiot with psychiatric disorder^^^^
Lawn Boy outs himself again with his ballot initiative bologna.
You’ve reached pathetic new lows with your nonsense, Elvis.
What a pathetic life you lead. The ARBD is a serious issue for you. Get help.
When Trump is sworn in he will smash this nonsense into pulp. The USA has incredible power to wield economically. Lots of things to weaponize and he will. Europe is no longer free. The UK is as bad or worse. Some of this will work itself out as economic reality sets in the EU to tear it apart.
When Trump loses he will be tried for treason, convicted and sent to prison for the rest of his life. And there will be a prison cell or morgue drawer waiting when MAGA takes to the streets.
Elvis the booger eating troll is having really bad days every time he looks at the polls.