Adopted in 1791 into the Bill of Rights, the First Amendment according to Cornell Law School “protects the right to freedom of religion and freedom of expression from government interference. It prohibits any laws that establish a national religion, impede the free exercise of religion, abridge the freedom of speech, infringe upon the freedom of the press, interfere with the right to peaceably assemble, or prohibit citizens from petitioning for a governmental redress of grievances.” While the First Amendment has become a cornerstone in American society, Chuck Todd, NBC’s political director, recently accused the Republicans of using the First Amendment to shield and “appease” what he called the white supremacist movement. 

Since former President Donald Trump decided to run for office, the narrative that his followers are nothing more than a group of white supremacist and domestic terrorists has been promoted not only by the mainstream media, but President Joe Biden as well. 

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Speaking on his show, Meet the Press Daily, Todd claimed, “Look at the way the right [tries] to weaponize the idea that [the Department of Homeland Security] was going to essentially try to attempt to monitor hateful rhetoric. They want to make it seem likes it’s some sort of big brother. This is always what the right does to appease the white supremacist movement — by saying, ‘hey, free speech. Don’t touch speech.'”

The host added, “Well, look, this is sort of the chickens coming home to roost. They have been appeasing this wing of the party for years and year and years. And now they are stuck with this group.”

Todd’s comments come after an 18-year-old white male stormed into a supermarket in Buffalo, New York and killed 10 people. Most of the victims shot were black. There have even been claims that the shooter posted a lengthy manifesto online detailing his motivations, thoughts on race, and how white people are supposedly disappearing due to the Great Placement theory. 

Again, the narrative of Trump and the GOP being a breeding ground for racism and hate has been a constant tactic by the Democrats for a long time. 

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