Newsmax Appears to Distort Legal Expert’s Comments After CNN Interview

Newsmax omitted vital context while airing a CNN legal analyst’s comments Tuesday, in effect distorting his words to make viewers believe he said something he didn’t.

As noted by Mediaite, Carl Higbie Frontline played a brief clip of Norm Eisen talking Monday on CNN International’s Connect the World about how the Supreme Court heard arguments surrounding social media companies’ abilities to moderate content they deem objectionable. Florida and Texas are seeking to curtail them, claiming conservatives are being discriminated against.

Newsmax, however, clipped Eisen’s remarks, instead beginning in the middle of a sentence: “Social media companies can’t discriminate against conservatives. And no matter how crazy a conservative message may be, it’s simply not allowed to discriminate against them or anyone…But is there a middle ground where they have to give an equal platform? That’s what these cases are about,” he said.

Host Carl Higbie then reacted: “That’s kind of my point here, is like, look, this is a liberal legal analyst on CNN saying that they can’t do that.”

However, that’s not the case at all.

Eisen’s full comments on Connect the World show that he was summarizing what the lawyers for Florida and Texas are pushing for.

“This case that has made it now to argument at the Supreme Court is about two statutes—one passed in the state of Texas, and one law in the state of Florida—that essentially say social media companies can’t discriminate against conservatives, and no matter how crazy your conservative message may be, it’s simply not allowed to discriminate against them or anyone,” Eisen said.

What’s more is that Eisen, in the very next breath, calls that argument an “extreme view of the law,” citing terroristic threats or “insane health advice” on a social media platform. Newsmax omitted that portion of his comments from its broadcast, instead jumping ahead.

“So, it can’t be the case that these social media companies have no ability to make these choices in what they do and do not put up,” Eisen went on. “But those are the questions maybe the Supreme Court will find in the extreme cases, the social media companies can act. But is there a middle ground where they have to give an equal platform? That’s what these cases are about.”

A representative for Newsmax did not respond to a request for comment. The Daily Beast also contacted Eisen, but he did not respond in time for publication.

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