Stephen Miller, longtime Trump adviser, comes out hard against Florida defamation bill

Longtime Donald Trump adviser Stephen Miller came out swinging Wednesday against Florida legislation that would, among other things, make it easier to launch and win defamation lawsuits.

And he wound up not being alone.

"If Florida passes the proposed law to lower the standard for defamation expect leftist’ plaintiffs lawyers to spend the next generation bankrupting every prominent conservative based in Florida," Miller wrote in a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

"If you want to go after corporate media then pass a law narrowly tailored at them," he continued. "This law will mean conservative influencers, podcasters and alternative media companies based in Florida are going to get WRECKED solely because they are conservative."

The post came shortly after the House version of the legislation (HB 757) passed its third and final committee on Wednesday morning, setting it up for final approval before the full chamber. The Senate version (SB 1780) has one committee to go.

Gov. Ron DeSantis voiced support for changes to defamation law last year, but such legislation didn't make it through the 2023 session. That legislation, like this year's, faced immense backlash from conservative media officials. His office didn't respond to a media request about the current measure.

Miller's post was soon followed by others from prominent conservative accounts.

Libs of TikTok, a popular conservative social media account that frequently makes posts geared at generating outrage against LGBTQ people and advocates, shared Miller's statement, adding, "This bill is one of the most dangerous pieces of legislation. It will basically severely restrict free speech in the state of Florida."

Influential right-wing commentator Jack Posobiec also shared it, saying, "This will be used against every influencer in the state of Florida."

An amendment by House bill sponsor Alex Andrade, R-Pensacola, was approved Wednesday. It removed a controversial provision that critics warned would create "venue shopping," meaning choosing where to sue based on where someone thinks they're most likely to win.

But other highly-debated parts remain.

One, for example, is a new kind of legal claim against false and offensive artificial intelligence content about someone that a "reasonable person" is likely to believe.

It also makes a presumption that anyone publishing a false statement that relied on an anonymous source acted with "actual malice," a key legal hurdle for public figures to win defamation lawsuits.

What remains was still enough for progressive and conservative groups alike to speak against the bill during the Wednesday committee's public comment period.

And enough to prompt Miller's post: "Reject this law before it’s too late," he wrote.

Andrade, responding to Miller on X, posted: "I wish (he) had read the bill before commenting on it. It doesn’t lower any standards for defamation."

This reporting content is supported by a partnership with Freedom Forum and Journalism Funding Partners. USA Today Network-Florida First Amendment reporter Douglas Soule is based in Tallahassee, Fla. He can be reached at DSoule@gannett.com. On X: @DouglasSoule.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Trump adviser blasts Florida bill that would make winning defamation easier