Fox News’ Jonathan Turley Defends Letitia James Against FDNY Boo Birds and Gets Praised for It by Harris Faulkner: ‘That’s Brilliant!’
Fox News contributor and legal analyst Jonathan Turley defended New York Attorney General Letitia James against the boo birds who disrupted her speech at a New York City Fire Department (FDNY) ceremony last week during a segment on The Faulkner Focus Monday.
The audience of firefighters booed James and chanted “Trump! Trump! Trump!” as James tried to deliver remarks at the event last Thursday.
On Fox News, host Harris Faulkner asked Turley about the FDNY’s investigation into those who participated in the chants. An FDNY spokesman has said that it is “looking into those who clearly broke department regulations.”
“Another left-leaning D.A. that wanted to go after Trump now is up against, I don’t know, is it free speech?” mused Faulkner. “What is she up against with this fire department that she’d rather have be quiet while she talks?”
“Well, you know, this may surprise you because I’ve been one of the most vocal critics against James since she ran for the New York attorney general’s position. I felt her campaign was unethical. I think the case that she brought against Trump was excessive and abusive and politically motivated. But I also don’t agree with shouting down speakers,” replied Turley. “We see this happen on campuses all the time. It’s called deplatforming and it is not an exercise of free speech to keep others from speaking or others from listening. So I think that there is a basis to say, look, you know, you’ve got to follow the rules here. You can protest, but you can’t stop others from speaking.”
That said, Turley advised James to “tell the fire department, you know, just let this one go.”
Faulkner was impressed by Turley’s analysis.
“I caught what you said there. This is about everybody else in the room who might have been trying to hear or listen. And if you talk over that, that is colliding with what we might think traditionally of free speech. That’s what I heard you say,” she said. “And I didn’t even, yeah, that’s brilliant! That’s why you’re here. Thank you.”
Watch above via Fox News.
