Motion In Limine

Framing, as always, is in the details.

Look which word is in quotes ["we're keeping our distance from this"] in the subhead: Lies.

Look which term is presented straight ["no need to question or caveat this"]: Free speech.

This can only come from decades of working-the-refs. pic.twitter.com/9SIovxZrdH

— James Fallows (@JamesFallows) August 5, 2023

Fallows is right. But you know who doesn’t give a shit about this headline?

The courts.

Trump has a First Amendment defense the way he has a PRA defense in Florida: he doesn’t. I expect that to be rejected in pre-trial limine practice.

This is what happens when journalists parrot the lawyers (criminal defense; because the prosecution can’t and shouldn’t) who will talk to them, with no understanding whatsoever that they are being played.

And of course, even in the post-J6 era of “the big lie,” none dare call it lies.