In 1906, Teddy Roosevelt first used the term "bully pulpit" to characterize his presidency as a powerful platform for advocating policies. Back then, the word "bully" didn't imply intimidation or coercion as it might today; instead, it meant "excellent" or "superb."

However, Presidents Trump and Biden are bullies with pulpits. Teddy Roosevelt must be rolling over in his grave.

Trump frequently debases himself by calling his opponents names in his public addresses. As if that's not bad enough, he invoked the word "fight" more than a dozen of times during his White House speech while Proud Boys and others were converging around Capitol Hill on January 6, 2021. Although I don't believe his intention was to directly incite violence, his repeated use of such language reflects an abuse of his presidential platform.

Biden, in a more subtle manner, exerts pressure on social media platforms to censor conservative voices critical of his administration. This action could potentially infringe upon free speech, a matter currently under scrutiny by the U.S. Supreme Court (Murthy v. Missouri).

Freedom of speech is not absolute, but it truly serves as a constitutional defense against abusive pulpits.

Author: renqiulan