Famed magician Penn Jillette says social media services such as Twitter have become more powerful than the courts in the U.S.
Speaking with The Hill last month in an interview released Thursday, the comedian weighed in on the debate over Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
When asked whether he believed the presumption of innocence was under threat, the outspoken libertarian argued that the lines between public allegations and a legal proceeding appeared to be blurring.
“I’m really having a lot of trouble because you want to say, if it’s not a legal proceeding, you can say anything you want,” Jillette said.
The comedian added that public opinion online now wields incredible power in terms of controversial issues.
“Yet it does seem like Twitter has become more powerful than the courts,” Jillette said. “It’s a learning process, and it’s going to be very, very messy until we’ve learned that.”
The self-described “free speech absolutist” also discussed his views on President Donald Trump and the current state of politics in the U.S.
.@pennjillette: Trump's campaign skills don't work in White House https://t.co/SxxFTgCyfm pic.twitter.com/fTAY1cjVaO
— The Hill (@thehill) October 18, 2018
Watch the full interview here.
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