Nikki Haley: Enemy of Free Speech?

There are plenty of reasons to like former U.N. Ambassador, former South Carolina governor, and current GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley, like when she publicly spanks rival Vivek Ramaswamy in one debate after another. But after reading the latest about her, maybe there's just that one reason.

Whatever the number is, if Haley hadn't already fallen off my list of candidates I might possibly vote for in Colorado's Republican primary next spring, she removed herself from it with extreme prejudice on Tuesday when she came out against free speech on the internet.

"The second thing," Haley told Fox News on Tuesday while discussing online speech, "is every person on social media should be verified by their name."

"When you do that," she continued, "all of a sudden people have to stand by what they say. And it gets rid of the Russian bots, the Iranian bots, and the Chinese bots. And then you're going to get some civility when people know their name is next to what they say, and they know their pastor and their family members are going to see it."

Exclusively for Our VIPs: Hey Nikki Haley, Publius and a Son of Liberty Would Like a Word With You...

Under Haley's proposal, "Publius" would not be allowed to publish the 1787-88 Federalist Papers on Twitter or Facebook, and maybe not even on a free Blogspot site, depending on how "social media" is defined. Once given the power to compel speakers to reveal their identities, you know that Washington would define its new authority as broadly as possible. 

The Federalist Papers wouldn't be the only publication banned from the Internet by Haley.

Under Nikki Haley’s crazy, draconian plan of using govt to force people on social media to be “verified” and not anonymous, Benjamin Franklin would have been legally prohibited from publishing his Silence Dogood letters.

pic.twitter.com/pZ9zWnENY3

— Liz Wheeler (@Liz_Wheeler) November 15, 2023

Some of my favorite conservative Twitter accounts are anonymous — and they're having none of it.

If Nikki Haley gets her way, where I live will also need to be posted, so I’m just gonna get ahead of that and post it now pic.twitter.com/c2RK8XbmXd

— Aelfred The Great (@aelfred_D) November 14, 2023

Nikki Haley was on pace to do well in Iowa, but now? Forget it.

— vbspurs (@vbspurs) November 15, 2023

My social media plan will Get rid of Russian And Chinese BOTS, as-well-as 1st and 4th Amendments-@NikkiHaley

— Joe Elector always TRUTH (@joeelector) November 15, 2023

Pesky, aren't they, some of those amendments to the Constitution?

Rival candidate, Fla. Gov. Ron DeSantis, came out swinging in a rapid-response press release:

You know who were anonymous writers back in the day? Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison when they wrote the Federalist Papers. They were not ‘national security threats,’ nor are the many conservative Americans across the country who exercise their Constitutional right to voice their opinions without fear of being harassed or canceled by the school they go to or the company they work for.

I sign my name to every column I write and to each of my social media posts. But sometimes free speech absolutely demands anonymity — something Haley would take away in pursuit of some vague "national security" concern. But if I were forced to choose between giving up the right to anonymity online (something I never actually use) or decommissioning a fully manned and maintained aircraft carrier battle group, I'd give up the latter over the former as more vital to our national security.

And Longtime Sharp VodkaPundit Readers™ know how much I love an aircraft carrier battle group.

Here's to hoping Haley quickly reconsiders — but her authoritarian instincts on free speech should give pause to every lover of constitutional government.