Free Speech Doesn’t End Where Trump’s Opinions Begin

Free speech isn’t only protected when President Trump agrees with it. The First Amendment exists precisely to defend unpopular or uncomfortable ideas. Revoking visas from people who expressed support for Charlie Kirk’s death crosses a constitutional line. It’s retaliation for speech, not punishment for violence. Legal precedent is clear: offensive speech is protected unless it incites imminent lawless action. That standard was set in Brandenburg v. Ohio and still holds. Even Senator Ted Cruz recently said, “The First Amendment absolutely protects hate speech. It protects vile speech. It protects horrible speech” (Politico, September 2025). That protection cannot depend on who holds power. Justice Sonia Sotomayor put it plainly: free speech exists to protect ideas, debate, and dissent, not just slogans approved by the government. Targeting immigration status over political expression is authoritarian, not democratic. It creates fear, silences protest, and invites deeper abuses of power. I urge you to end the visa revocations now. Reinstate any that were canceled over constitutionally protected speech. This kind of government retaliation has no place in a free country. Stop punishing people for words and uphold our laws and constitution.