Republican Presidential Candidate Nikki Haley is causing heads on the internet to collectively spin, as she may have made an unforced First Amendment mistake.
"Every person on social media should be verified by their name. First of all it's a national security threat," said Haley, who just poured millions of dollars into an ad buy against Governor Ron DeSantis in Iowa. "When you do that people have to stand by what they say. And it gets rid of the Russian bots, the Iranian bots, and the Chinese bots."
Haley said if there is no anonymity, it will promote civility.
"And then you are 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, it's going to help our kids and it's going to help our country," said Haley.
NEW: Nikki Haley asserts that allowing people to post on social media anonymously is a "national security threat". She promises that as president, she will force "every person on social media" to be "verified by their name."
I am no lawyer but isn't this blatantly… pic.twitter.com/MD7CcBZL5r
— Christina Pushaw 🐊 🇺🇸 (@ChristinaPushaw) November 14, 2023
Team DeSantis immediately pounced on Haley saying this would be against the First Amendment.
"She promises that as president, she will force 'every person on social media' to be 'verified by their name.' I am no lawyer but isn't this blatantly unconstitutional? Free speech includes anonymous speech," posted Team DeSantis Rapid Response Director Christina Pushaw.
The clip has now gone viral with many showing their outrage.
"Let me check the Federalist papers to see what the founders would have thought about," posted Anonymous Pro-DeSantis account "Croaky Caiman". "You know The Federalist Papers, by that guy Publius, interesting guy, only one name like Prince but had like 3 personalities. Wonder what he would think about anonymous political speech."
So basically Hochul and Haley are the same person….likely with the same “ammunition” in their kitten heels," posted Fox News's Tomi Lahren, referring to Democrat New York Governor Kathy Hochul's declaration that she had "ramped up" internet surveillance.
So basically Hochul and Haley are the same person….likely with the same “ammunition” in their kitten heels 🫠 https://t.co/BDgDrdUrxV
— Tomi Lahren (@TomiLahren) November 14, 2023
"Uh, what happens if you continue to post without complying?" commented Dave Vasquez of the Pro-DeSantis PAC Never Back Down.
Uh, what happens if you continue to post without complying? https://t.co/oWpYCfA9gZ
— Dave Vasquez (@DaveVasquezFL) November 14, 2023
Haley also said she wants social media companies to be required to show the American people their algorythms.
"When I get into office the first thing we have to do is social media companies, they have to show America their algorithms. Let us see why they are pushing what they are pushing," Haley told Fox News' Harris Faulkner today.
Haley is currently outperforming DeSantis is all of the early voting states, but this assertion that she would force anonymous social media users to identify themselves could prove to be a nail in he political coffin in the 2024 Republican presidential sweepstakes.
Both Haley and DeSantis trail former President Donald Trump.
