Notable Legal Tweets of 2017
In the year of the "Twitter President," it's fitting that the most notable tweets involved President Donald Trump.
Trump managed to keep the social media company in the spotlight at a time when it was losing market share. Some predicted Twitter would not survive the year, but as the President's go-to platform, it is not going away anytime soon.
Here are some of the most notable tweets of 2017, and quite naturally they involve Trump. Even when he didn't start the conversations, he was in them.
"So-Called Judge"
Trump began his campaign against immigration as soon as he took office, and began his campaign against the judiciary soon after. When a federal judge stopped his first executive order on foreign travel, Trump responded with an attack on the "so-called judge" from Seattle.
"Because the ban was lifted by the judge, many very bad and dangerous people may be pouring into our country," Trump tweeted one day. And then next: "If something bad happens blame him and the court system."
"Darth Trump"
Remarkably, Trump didn't strike back when Judge Don Willett referred to him as "Darth Trump" in a tweet about Trump's plan to build a border wall.
"We'll rebuild the Death Star," Willett said. "It'll be amazing, believe me. And the rebels will pay for it."
Trump still nominated Willett to the U.S. Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals, although the Trump administration apparently suggested that he shut down his tweets.
Official Tweets
In a legacy that may outlive his judicial appointments, Trump tweets reached the level of "official statements" in litigation.
In federal court, Justice Department lawyers lawyers said the president's tweets were government statements. "The government is treating the statements upon which Plaintiffs rely as official statements of the President of the United States," they said in James Madison Project v. Department of Justice.
Twitter Storms Overseas
Threats foreign and domestic came from Trump twitter storms. Author J.K. Rowling was the most notable.
She waged a private and public war with the president on Twitter. Time will tell who wins, but it apparently started in Russia.
"Russia has never tried to use leverage over me," Trump tweeted. I HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH RUSSIA - NO DEALS, NO LOANS, NO NOTHING!"
Rowling responded: "Must be telling the truth. He used caps."
Related Resources:
- Don't Tweet Threats to the President or the Secret Service Will Come Knocking (FindLaw's Blotter)
- What's on Your Legal Tech Wishlist for 2018? (FindLaw's Technologist)
- Are Encrypted Messaging Apps for the Paranoid or Lawyers? (FindLaw's Technologist)