Freedom of speech is essential to a free society, yet progressives have spent years distorting its meaning to mislead the public.

In a recent attack on the Trump administration, CBS host Margaret Brennan claimed that “weaponized” free speech caused the Holocaust. This dangerous misrepresentation of history ignores that the Nazi regime sought to suppress free speech, not promote it. Her remarks reflect a fundamental misunderstanding of the First Amendment.

Courageous Americans must reject this twisted version of free speech and defend open dialogue — especially on college campuses.

Brennan is hardly alone, of course. Progressives have redefined free speech under the banner of tolerance, equality, and “safe spaces.” In practice, this has enabled targeted discrimination and harassment against those who oppose their political agenda. The result is widespread self-censorship and intellectual conformity.

Americans became accustomed to a dystopian reality, where praying in public, questioning the origin of COVID-19, and refusing to use someone’s preferred pronouns were labeled “dangerous” forms of speech that had to be silenced — sometimes even through violence.

With Donald Trump’s return to the White House, these restrictions are lifting. People are slowly readjusting to speaking freely without fear of government reprisal, cautiously voicing opinions once deemed off-limits. This newfound freedom is promising, but the fight against state censorship is far from over.

Meanwhile, university campuses are again in turmoil over the Israel-Palestine conflict. Activists have threatened Jewish students and occupied buildings, prompting administrators — mindful of the federal government’s new stance against such behavior — to crack down. Yet, protesters insist their actions are protected as “free speech.”

The same thing is taking place outside of schools, too. Consider the Maine legislature’s efforts to discipline state Representative Laurel Libby (R) — an elected official who had the audacity to question the continued presence of men in women’s sports in her district. For the crime of flagging such an incident on social media, Libby was censured by the legislature in a straight party-line vote — unable to vote on behalf of her constituents until she apologizes.

Remind me again which party poses a threat to democracy?

Liberals often resort to distorting the truth and rewriting history to justify their extreme measures. Margaret Brennan’s comments didn’t emerge out of nowhere; they reflect a broader progressive campaign for intellectual conformity through censorship, intimidation, violence, and revisionist history.

Benjamin Franklin warned in his Silence Dogood letters that “whoever would overthrow the Liberty of a Nation, must begin by subduing the Freeness of Speech.” Censorship remains the most direct path to tyranny.

Young adults are in a crucial stage of their lives — a time to develop resilience and critical thinking.

Courageous Americans must reject this twisted version of free speech and defend open dialogue — especially on college campuses, where future leaders are being force-fed a false narrative of their rights and pressured to stay silent. Students deserve better.