The College Fix

Firebrand conservative scholar accused of fomenting insurrection, also temporarily suspended from Twitter

Criminology Professor Mike Adams, who has taken an active and vocal role in challenging North Carolina’s stay-at-home regulations, said he is undeterred in the face of accusations that he is fomenting insurrection.

In the latest volley, the University of North Carolina Wilmington scholar had his Twitter account suspended Wednesday for this tweet: “I just learned that a county commissioner in the western part of the state is defying Roy Cooper by opening his business on Friday. A business owner in Wilmington is doing the same thing this Friday. Open your business. Just do it.”

Adams, on his Facebook profile Wednesday, noted “the appeal I just filed with Twitter was two words and unprintable.”

More recently, he gave in to the social media giant’s demands to get his account active again — then stuck it to them one more time, quickly tweeting: “I was banned for this tweet. Please retweet: ‘I just learned that a county commissioner in the western part of the state is defying Roy Cooper by opening his business on Friday. A business owner in Wilmington is doing the same thing this Friday. Open your business. Just do it.'”

https://twitter.com/MikeSAdams/status/1255797869497516032

https://twitter.com/MikeSAdams/status/1255832354276495363

“I got back on twitter by telling the twitter nazis I would take down the post that got their panties in a wad. What I did not tell them was that I would put the post back up as soon as they unbanned me – and with a request for others to retweet it. Bet they did Nazi that coming,” Adams explained.

It’s the latest development as Adams continues to defend Constitutional liberties and small businesses in the Tar Heel State.

Adams tweeted this on April 14:

The tweet triggered many to fire back that he was calling for the killing of cops. A headline in Indy Week declared: “UNC-Wilmington Professor Calls for Activists to Use Second Amendment Against Raleigh Police.”

Joining in with Adams’ online accusers, the Indy Week article stated that Adams tweeted what appeared to be “a call for activists to use the Second Amendment against Raleigh police for enforcing Wake County’s stay-at-home order during a #ReopenNC [rally].”

The article continued: “In addition to being a professor at UNC-Wilmington—for which he’s paid $89,132 a year—Adams is an anti-abortion rights activist, the author of the book Letters to a Young Progressive, and a columnist at the right-wing website Townhall.com, where he writes such trenchant pieces as “Three Essential Firearms for Civil Unrest” and “Three More Essential Firearms” and “Three Essential Firearms.”

“It’s hysteria,” Adams told The College Fix in a recent phone interview. “I tweeted that out after the rally was over from 130 miles away … I said something the Founders said—after the … rally was over. I mean, what a meltdown.”

He said that in a way it’s funny how far his accusers have misunderstood the point of his tweet.

“I’ve taught First Amendment law class for years—and what’s so obvious is that my opponents don’t know anything about the First Amendment,” he said.

“People actually come after me—they’ve done it for years … as if they don’t think when I write something that I know the law backwards and forwards. Do they not think I intentionally waited until after the rally was over to point that out? As sarcastic as I am and provocative as I am, I’m actually very cautious at the same time. I think about what I write before I write it. But I’m dealing with a complete emotional meltdown right now.”

Adams is anything but a wallflower. He is well known for successfully suing his university for anti-conservative and anti-Christian bias several years ago. He also is known as a firebrand Conservative who staunchly defends the unborn and holds nothing back in his nationally read opinion columns in outlets such as Townhall and the Daily Wire. 

In his interview with The College Fix, Adams said that as a result of his latest public battle — to reopen North Carolina and the nation — every day he receives messages that accuse him of inciting violence, demand he be fired for his speech, or accuse him of saying things he never said.

He added that even opponents who actually admit that his tweet was not an incitement still argue for his firing claiming the tweet was deeply irresponsible.

When asked how he remains so unphased, he said, “Basically, when you know the truth is on your side.”

He has argued that Gov. Roy Cooper’s stay-at-home executive order 121 was “never Constitutional in the first place” and has put businesses in jeopardy—except, that is, for the state-owned liquor stores which are deemed “essential,” while churches are “unessential.”

With businesses closing every day, Adams said he holds that people have no other choice but to disobey the governor’s order by reopening their businesses now.

“The fine [for doing so] quite obviously is much to be preferred over losing the business. And, if they do it en masse, there’s no way Cooper can prosecute them… it’s an unconstitutional order. They have to do it or they’re going to lose everything… Ultimately, if they are convicted, there’s legal recourse. They would win. There’s no doubt. So, that’s my view. Morally and legally, they’re in the right,” he said.

On Thursday, Adams doubled down.

“I am defying executive order 121 today by seeking an unlawful haircut from someone in the Wilmington area,” he posted on Facebook. “I need it some time tomorrow. PM me if you are a licensed stylist who can do this for me. I have plenty of cash and lots of firearms. I predict that the transaction will go smoothly.”

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IMAGE: Twitter screenshot

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