White House slams Jane Fonda over First Amendment relaunch, calls Trump 'free speech supporter'
WASHINGTON, DC: White House responded sharply to Hollywood actress Jane Fonda’s recent relaunch of a First Amendment group.
They shared that the Academy Award-winning actress is “free to share whatever bad opinions she wants,” while defending President Trump as a “strong supporter of free speech.”
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson called Fonda ‘Hanoi Jane,’ and here’s the reason why.
White House claps back at Jane Fonda's comments
The White House was asked by a news outlet called ITK to comment on Jane Fonda starting the Committee for the First Amendment.
Spokesperson Abigail Jackson replied by calling her ‘Hanoi Jane.’ This was the nickname critics gave Fonda because of her outspoken protests against the Vietnam War. Jackson said, “Hanoi Jane is free to share whatever bad opinions she wants."
"As someone who actually knows what it’s like to be censored, President Trump is a strong supporter of free speech and Democrat allegations to the contrary are so false, they’re laughable,” Jackson said.
Jackson also criticized left-wing groups, stating that Trump “is focused on left-wing organizations that have fueled violent riots, organized attacks against law enforcement officers, coordinated illegal doxing campaigns, arranged drop points for weapons and riot materials, incited violence all across America.”
Jane Fonda reboots committee for First Amendment
On Wednesday, September 1, Jane Fonda announced the revival of the Committee for the First Amendment.
A group originally organized by her father, Henry Fonda, in 1947.
Fonda expressed concern about what she sees as a renewed threat to free speech in the United States.
She shared a letter urging people artists to join the committee before “speak out before it’s too late.”
“I’m 87 years old. I’ve seen war, repression, protest, and backlash. I’ve been celebrated, and I’ve been branded an enemy of the state. But I can tell you this: this is the most frightening moment of my life," the Hollywood actress said in a letter urging artists to join the committee.
According to the committee’s website, nearly 600 Hollywood stars and filmmakers have joined in support, including Natalie Portman, Aaron Sorkin, Spike Lee, Viola Davis, Pedro Pascal, and Ben Stiller.
Whoopi Goldberg, Sean Penn, John Legend, Damon Lindelof, Julianne Moore, Barbra Streisand, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Ethan Hawke and Rosie O’Donnell's names are also included.
The committee detailed its history, saying it was created in the 1940s during a “dark time when the federal government repressed and persecuted American citizens for their political beliefs.”
“The McCarthy era ended when Americans from across the political spectrum finally came together and stood up for the principles in the Constitution against the forces of repression,” the statement said.
Fonda was one of the Hollywood actors to join and support the group.
But now in the Trump era, Fonda’s group said, “Those forces have returned. And it is our turn to stand together in defense of our constitutional rights.”
Why was Jane Fonda called ‘Hanoi Jane’?
The nickname 'Hanoi Jane' was given to the actress during her controversial visit to North Vietnam in 1972.
During that period, Fonda was an outspoken critic of the Vietnam War and had been actively participating in anti-war protests across the United States.
Many Americans, especially veterans and conservatives, were very angry. They saw her actions as unpatriotic and a betrayal of US soldiers.
