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US judge calls Trump Media ( DJT ), Rumble lawsuit premature

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Brazilian judge block on Bolsonaro supporter's accounts

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Trump Media ( DJT ), Rumble call order a victory for free speech

(Adds statement by Trump Media ( DJT ) chief executive, paragraph 6;

recasts paragraphs 12-13)

By Jonathan Stempel

Feb 25 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge on Tuesday sided for now

with President Donald Trump's media company in a dispute over

whether a top Brazilian judge illegally censored right-wing

voices on social media in the United States.

In a case brought by Trump Media & Technology Group ( DJT )

and the video-sharing platform Rumble, U.S. District

Judge Mary Scriven said Rumble need not comply with the

Brazilian judge's order that it remove U.S.-based accounts of a

leading supporter of former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro.

Trump Media ( DJT ), the parent of social media platform Truth

Social, and Rumble sued Brazilian Supreme Court Justice

Alexandre de Moraes on February 19.

They accused Moraes of trying to "censor legitimate

political discourse in the United States" protected by the U.S.

Constitution's First Amendment, by ordering the removal of the

accounts.

Scriven, however, said Moraes' order has yet to be enforced,

and was not served upon Trump Media ( DJT ) and Rumble in accordance

with international treaties.

As a result, the Tampa, Florida-based judge said Trump Media ( DJT )

and Rumble are not obligated to comply with Moraes' orders,

making their lawsuit and request for a temporary restraining

order premature.

In a statement, Trump Media Chief Executive Devin Nunes

called the order "a major victory for free speech and free

expression online."

Rumble, in a separate statement, said the order was "a

complete victory for free speech" that "sends a strong message

to foreign governments that they cannot bypass U.S. law to

impose censorship on American platforms."

Brazil's Supreme Court did not immediately respond to a

request for comment.

BOLSONARO CHARGES

Moraes had ordered Rumble to block accounts belonging to

Allan dos Santos, a digital influencer close to Bolsonaro.

Dos Santos lives in the United States and is considered a

fugitive in Brazil, where he faces an arrest warrant in

connection with probes into the spread of disinformation and

hate.

Trump Media ( DJT ) and Rumble sued several hours after

Brazilian prosecutors charged Bolsonaro, a Trump ally, with

plotting to overthrow Brazil's government following his 2022

election loss.

Moraes was asked to decide whether Bolsonaro should face

trial on the charges.

Trump, a Republican, was also indicted on charges he tried

to overturn his own 2020 presidential election loss to Democrat

Joe Biden. That case has been dropped.

On February 21, Brazil's Supreme Court suspended Rumble,

citing its failure to comply with court orders.

Rumble's suspension mirrored a since-lifted suspension

against Elon Musk's X last year.

Moraes has spearheaded a crusade against perceived attacks

on democracy and political use of disinformation, drawing the

ire of Bolsonaro supporters and Musk, who is a close ally of

Trump.

Trump owns about 53% of Trump Media ( DJT ).

The president's stake is in a trust overseen by his son

Donald Trump Jr. U.S. Vice President JD Vance invested in Rumble

in 2021.

Scriven was appointed district judge by U.S. President

George W. Bush in 2008, after serving 11 years as a federal

magistrate judge.