Jane Fonda Revives Father’s Free Speech Initiative, Citing New ‘McCarthyism’
Jane Fonda Revives Father’s Free Speech Initiative, Citing New ‘McCarthyism’
Oscar-winning actor and veteran progressive activist Jane Fonda has relaunched the Committee for the First Amendment, an initiative originally founded by her father, Henry Fonda, in 1947 to combat what he saw as McCarthyism. The renewed effort comes as Fonda and nearly 600 other entertainment figures assert that the federal government is engaged in a “coordinated campaign to silence critics” across various sectors, including government, media, and academia.
The committee’s statement, co-signed by prominent names such as Whoopi Goldberg, Ethan Hawke, Spike Lee, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, and Barbra Streisand, declares, “We refuse to stand by and let that happen.” Jane Fonda, 87, expressed profound concern, stating on Wednesday, “this is the most frightening moment of my life,” drawing parallels to historical periods of repression she has witnessed.
The relaunch follows recent controversies in Hollywood, including the brief suspension of Jimmy Kimmel’s late-night talk show last month, which prompted an open letter from over 400 celebrities decrying it as a “dark moment for freedom of speech.” The original Committee for the First Amendment was formed during the “Second Red Scare” to counter Senator Joseph McCarthy’s aggressive anti-communist tactics.
In a sharp rebuke, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson dismissed Fonda as “Hanoi Jane,” a moniker from her 1972 visit to North Vietnam. Jackson asserted that President Trump strongly supports free speech and criticized Democrats for past actions, including former President Biden’s administration’s recommendations to social media companies regarding COVID-19 misinformation and the Justice Department’s handling of school board parent concerns.
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