Trump's lawsuit against Twitter dealt another major blow by federal judge
On Tuesday, former President Donald Trump was dealt yet another blow in his lawsuit against Twitter for banning him from their platform, as a federal judge in Florida ruled that his attorneys could not file their claim in the state.
The issue turned on the so-called "forum selection clause" in Twitter's Terms of Service, requiring that any lawsuit against the company be heard in the Northern District of California, where the company is headquartered.
"The Court finds that Trump's status as President of the United States does not exclude him from the requirements of the forum selection clause in Twitter's Terms of Service," concluded Judge Robert Scola, an appointee of former President Barack Obama.
Here's the order. Trump filed suits against three tech companies in federal court in Florida, and so far two have… https://t.co/jkelNtrg7p
— Brad Heath (@bradheath) 1635296096.0
A case in a California district court would fall under the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which is broadly considered to be a more hostile venue to the former president because it has far fewer Republican judicial appointees than the Eleventh Circuit, which oversees district court rulings in the state of Florida.
However, experts have suggested Trump's lawsuit, which seeks to find Twitter in violation of his free speech rights by deplatforming him, is unlikely to succeed in any venue.
This is the second ruling that Trump cannot sue Twitter in Florida instead of California. A similar ruling was issued by Miami-based federal judge Kevin Michael Moore, an appointee of President George H. W. Bush, three weeks ago.