Political insults and distortions are part elections in a free society. It began here with the disputed presidential election of 1800. President John Adams’ Federalist allies smeared victor Thomas Jefferson, saying under him, “Murder, robbery, rape, adultery, and incest will be openly taught and practiced, the air will be rent with the cries of the distressed, the soil will be soaked with blood, and the nation black with crimes.” Similar insults were thrown at Adams.

As President Abraham Lincoln ran for reelection in 1864, Harper’s Weekly published some of the insults hurled at him, including, “Filthy story-teller, Ignoramus Abe, Despot, Old scoundrel, big secessionist, perjurer, liar, robber, thief, swindler, braggart, tyrant, buffoon, fiend and usurper.” And those were the nicer ones.

President Harry Truman, himself the target of countless insults, liked to say, “If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.” One presidential wannabe who can’t stand the heat is Gov. Gavin Newsom. In September he signed two laws meddling with uses of “deepfakes,” videos using technology to mimic a targeted politician.

The worst bill was Assembly Bill 2839, which prohibited “knowingly distributing an advertisement or other election communication … that contains certain materially deceptive content … with malice.” It also required satirical content to disclose, ““This ____ has been manipulated for purposes of satire or parody.” Which, needless to say, undermines the point of satire and parody.

In an X post, Newsom fingered an ad, by “Mr. Reagan,” reposted by X owner Elon Musk. The ad manipulated Vice President Kamala Harris’ voice so she says, “Joe taught me rule No. 1: Carefully hide your total incompetence.” It later was revealed “Mr. Reagan” is YouTuber Christopher Kohls.

On Sept. 17, Kohls filed a lawsuit in federal court against Attorney General Rob Bonta and Secretary of State Shirley Weber. On Oct. 2, U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez preliminarily enjoined enforcement of AB 2839. He wrote, “Even if AB 2839 were only targeted at knowing falsehoods that cause tangible harm, these falsehoods as well as other false statements are precisely the types of speech protected by the First Amendment.”

The judge brought up New York Times v. Sullivan from 1964, and noted “the Supreme Court held that even deliberate lies (said with “actual malice”) about the government are constitutionally protected.” The judge also quoted from the 1988 decision Hustler Magazine, Inc. v. Falwell, which we have cited on this issue. The quote itself said even George Washington was portrayed in a cartoon “as an ass” and ever since “graphic depictions and satirical cartoons have played a prominent role in public and political debate.”

For this election, Newsom’s censorious bills will be in abeyance, pending almost certain rejection, if necessary, by the U.S. Supreme Court. But his thin skin tarnishes his expected 2028 presidential bid, should Harris lose on Nov. 5, at the starting block.

California has long been the world epicenter of free expression, from Mario Savio’s 1964-65 Berkeley Free Speech Movement and numerous Vietnam War protests, to the very flourishing of the computer industry, the internet and now AI in Silicon Valley and San Francisco.

Some advice for Newsom: Get a thicker skin.