People say mean, sometimes untrue, critical things about President Trump every day ... crickets. President Trump says mean, critical things about Ambassador Yovanovich and she claims to be “intimidated.” Where is the fairness?
If you would function in the public eye, as both presidents and ambassadors do, people will say mean things about you. Our libel and slander laws make it nearly impossible to be found guilty of besmirching the name of a public figure, this is intentional.
Our free speech laws, to function properly, require public figures to tolerate abusive language directed at them. It is a (sometimes high) cost of doing business.
There is, however, no requirement for anyone to be a public figure, it is a choice. In President Truman’s pithy formulation, “If you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen.”
Former ambassador Yovanovich needs to cowboy up.
