A U.S. Senator and a Twitter Files journalist are challenging the global rise in censorship under the guise of “saving democracy.”
Twitter Files journalist Michael Shellenberger slammed German authorities for arresting citizens exercising free speech online following elections in the country. Sen. Eric Schmitt responded (R-MO) in agreement in an X post on Monday. “Why is it that the ‘defense of democracy’ always seems to require a level of political censorship that would make history’s most infamous authoritarians blush?” he asked. The senator added a warning that censorship remains a very real threat even here in America, despite our First Amendment.
Shellenberger called out Germany for its crackdown on free speech that was featured on CBS News’s 60 Minutes in February. During the segment, 60 Minutes revealed that Germany has arrested dozens of individuals for their online comments that criticized the country’s mainstream government policy and propaganda. U.S. Vice President JD Vance said at the time, “This is Orwellian, and everyone in Europe and the U.S. must reject this lunacy.” Unfortunately, according to Shellenberger, German authorities are simply doubling down on censorship.
60 Minutes follows along with German police as they raid people’s houses for being racist online.
— Richard Hanania (@RichardHanania) February 17, 2025
They’re transitioning from ignoring European laws against speech to glorifying them. pic.twitter.com/MAVj19PQyH
“Germany claims to protect freedom of speech, but it doesn't. It punishes journalists for criticizing the government and reporting on migrant crime. Its goal? To undermine the nation's leading nationalist-populist party, which is currently leading in the polls. Sinister stuff,” Shellenberger posted.
Shellenberger also included a screenshot of a recent article posted on his Substack newsletter publication Public, which detailed how German agencies are targeting journalists for accurately covering illegal migrant crime rates. The populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party finished second in the recent February elections, but since the country has a parliamentary system that allows less popular parties to abuse coalitions and overpower larger parties, the authorities continue to target free speech.
After Schmitt responded to Shellenberger, he added, “America isn’t as far gone as our European counterparts. You can thank our First Amendment for that. But if you think we’re immune to this, you aren’t paying attention.” He linked to a past post thread about the federal government’s censorship cartel, which grew particularly massive under the Biden administration, and which was exposed by the Twitter Files and the landmark Murthy v. Missouri lawsuit, originally filed by Schmitt when he was Missouri attorney general.
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