Judge Tells Trump To Mute, Not Block, On Twitter

Donald Trump is not the first United States president to use Twitter, but his rate of activity, personal voice, and controversial statements on the social media platform will all help define his legacy after he leaves office. After all, it was a major news story when his account went down for 11 minutes.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, there is a lawsuit against him based on his Twitter behavior, but a Manhattan judge recommended a settlement, and suggested a new way Trump use the site. Federal judge Naomi Reice Buchwald suggested Thursday that Trump simply mute his online opponents rather than block them, NBC News reported.

Buchwald is overseeing Knight Institute v. Trump, a Columbia University lawsuit against Trump for allegedly infringing upon Americans’ First Amendment rights by blocking them on Twitter. His Twitter feed is a public forum, according to Knight Institute, and the president’s tweets are a matter of public importance that people should be able to see, regardless of their political views.

On the other side, the government said Trump’s @realDonaldTrump account is personal in nature and he is not required to welcome everyone’s voice. Buchwald said a settlement would likely be the best resolution to the case, as a ruling might create uncomfortable legal precedent. The judge’s suggestion that Trump mute people, rather than block them, would likely protect him from further lawsuits of this nature.

Trump has been active on Twitter for several years and has blocked dozens of prominent users as a result, including novelist Stephen King. If he muted those people instead, they would still be able to see and interact with his tweets, but he would never have to see their accounts again.