Brazilian Supreme Court Justice Alexandre de Moraes is anything but subtle, and neither are the sanctions slapped on him by the United States government this week. The U.S. is sending a clear and necessary message: If you target American speech and violate our laws, there will be consequences.
The judge, who routinely stymies individual rights and freedoms in the name of “democracy,” has been on a crusade for years to silence opposition views. Long on the Trump administrations radar, Moraes is now facing the consequences of his actions and has been financially sanctioned by the American government. According to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Moraes “used his position to authorize arbitrary pre-trial detentions and suppress freedom of expression” by carrying out an escalating campaign of secretive, extrajudicial censorship.
From my perspective, as the founder and chief executive officer of Rumble, a video-sharing and cloud services platform principled in freedom of expression that has been targeted by Moraes, I commend President Trump and his administration for their leadership in the defense of this sacred principle.
Because Moraes is an enemy of freedom, and he should be treated as one.
Though he had no authority to do so, Moraes ordered Rumble to suspend the accounts of well-known U.S.-based Brazilian dissidents who fled to America to escape persecution. The judge didnt like what they had to say on Rumble and threatened massive fines and the blocking of our platform in Brazil if we didnt take down videos, channels, and accounts in compliance with his extrajudicial orders. Justice Moraes was effectively trying to reach into America and censor constitutionally-protected free speech by threating punishment in another jurisdiction, which, of course, he cannot do.
As bad as that is – to illegally try to control speech you dont like – it got even worse: Moraes tried to issue all his illegal orders in secret. Not once did he inform the U.S. government of his directives, nor did he use the normal and lawful avenues for disputes of this nature, such as the Hague Convention, the U.S-Brazil Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty, or any other valid legal mechanism. He did not issue a public ruling or grant us an opportunity to be heard. He simply sent secret demands by email and expected Rumble, an American company, to obey a foreign judges orders to censor speech originating in the United States. And he topped that off by trying to order Rumble not to tell anyone about his censorship demands.
Rumble refused. We comply with U.S. law, not illegal threats from abroad. In February of this year, Rumble sued Moraes in U.S. federal court in Florida over his illegal attempts to silence free expression and control a U.S. company. We were joined as plaintiffs by the Trump Media and Technology Group, the parent company of Truth Social, because it relies on Rumbles cloud services.
Less than a week later, the judge in the Florida case ruled that Moraes orders have no legal force in the United States. It was a victory for free speech, digital sovereignty, and the right of American companies to operate without foreign judicial interference.
Justice Moraes actions are not just unlawful – they are a direct attack on American sovereignty. The notion that a foreign official can dictate what Americans are allowed to say, hear, or post on U.S.-based platforms violates every principle of the First Amendment.
Just a few weeks ago, the Trump administration revoked Moraes visa. Now, the U.S. government has justly frozen his U.S.-based assets and prohibited citizens and companies from doing business with him. These new sanctions demonstrate President Trumps leadership in protecting free speech and that he is not playing around when it comes to fighting those who abuse their power to impose censorship regimes and commit arbitrary, politicized violations of human rights.
President Trump is ensuring that the U.S. stands strong for free speech. Rumble stands with him in this battle, just as we did when we were the only significant online platform that did not try to censor and silence him through bans or suspensions four years ago.
The very existence of someone like Alexandre de Moraes proves that the fight for free speech must go on in the digital age, because there are still powerful opponents of liberty in the world. This isnt just about Rumble. Any platform, publisher, or journalist could be next. If authoritarian tactics like these go unpunished, they will spread. Today its Brazil; tomorrow it could be Europe, Canada, or even within our own borders.
Thats why the sanctions announced this week are so important. They affirm that America will not stand by while foreign officials use their power to suppress speech and intimidate U.S. companies into silence.
Freedom of speech doesnt stop at the waters edge. Neither should our defense of it.
Chris Pavlovski is the CEO of Rumble, the free speech video-sharing platform and cloud services provider he founded in 2013.
