Freedom of speech is shifting under the Trump administration. We’re exploring how
Many Americans are worried that their First Amendment right to free speech is fading.
NPR’s Morning Edition has talked to legal experts, activists, immigration lawyers, scientists, students, teachers and others over several weeks to understand why.
Our series “The State of the First Amendment: The Right From Which All Other Rights Flow” will explore who felt censored before President Trump returned to office and who feels stifled now.
Our reporting found scientists are scrubbing reports and federal grant applications of words the Trump administration has banned. Some student activists are afraid participating in protests could lead to deportation. Teachers are nervous about a new online portal where students or parents can file complaints about diversity, equity, and inclusion lessons in class with the U.S. Department of Education.
“When students make connections to events in history that don’t frame the current administration in a positive light and then ask questions, it gives me pause,” says E., a high school history teacher, who asked NPR to use only her first initial for fear she could be reported for speaking out. “I’ve had to hold back, sometimes changing the subject abruptly, telling them that I can’t comment.”
Tune in to NPR and visit NPR.org every day this week for in-depth stories on “The State of the First Amendment: The Right From Which All Other Rights Flow.”
Yet plenty of others, including anti-abortion activists, the far-right activist group Moms for Liberty and members of university Republican clubs, say they feel more free today to express views without fear of a backlash now that President Trump is back in office.
“We now have more members who are willing to help us publicize the club, attach their faces to the club, and be outwardly and openly conservative than we did before the election,” says Miguel Muniz, President of the College Republicans at UC Berkeley.
Free speech ranked as the second most important issue for voters heading into the 2024 presidential election, ahead of crime, immigration and healthcare, according to a poll by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression taken a month before the election. Republicans were more likely to rate it “very important” and nearly half of Republican respondents said they spoke less freely under President Biden than they did under President Trump.
Loading…
That may be why soon after President Trump was sworn back into office, one of the first actions he took was to sign an executive order aimed at “restoring freedom of speech and ending federal censorship.”
His critics say his concern for free speech is only for speech his administration finds acceptable.
You can find all the stories in this series here.
India and China to resume direct flights after a 5-year suspension
The suspension, which began with the 2020 Covid outbreak, was prolonged by tensions along the Himalayan border.
On ‘The Life of a Showgirl,’ Taylor Swift feels love’s glow and the spotlight’s glare
On her 12th album, the most dominant pop star of our era makes a spectacle of herself in full flower, in love and holding the music industry in the palm of her hand.
FDA approves another generic abortion pill, prompting outrage from conservatives
Drugmaker Evita Solutions announced on its website that the Food and Drug Administration signed off on its low-cost form of the pill, which is approved to end pregnancies through 10 weeks.
As the shutdown drags on, the threat of permanent cuts is mired in politics
President Trump is meeting with his budget director, Russ Vought, about what additional cuts to make during the shutdown, and the president says his targets are partisan.
Pope Leo’s religious community is drawing renewed interest. Here’s what makes it unique
"Before, we might get two or three discerners. But after Pope Leo, I now have 15. It's unbelievable."
The CDC still hasn’t issued COVID vaccine guidelines, leaving access in limbo
Access to the COVID-19 vaccines remains difficult because of an unusual and unexplained delay by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in accepting recommendations from its advisers.