--- title: Devin Nunes 2010 Comments Surface Amid Defamation Lawsuit description: Rep. Devin Nunes is suing Twitter for defamation. But in 2010, he said that everyone has the right to 'smear' politicians if they want. canonical: https://time.com/5556217/devin-nunes-2010-smear-quote/ author: Rachel E. Greenspan article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2019-03-21T18:59:10.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T23:06:23.651Z article:section: Politics og:title: Devin Nunes Is Suing for Defamation. But in 2010, He Said You Should Be Allowed to 'Smear' Politicians og:description: 'I think there’s people that have every right to say what they want,' he said og:url: https://time.com/5556217/devin-nunes-2010-smear-quote/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt461af96f5be53b9d/6989470f457a525f96d60bb3/devin-nunes-smears-2010.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1024 og:image:height: 576 og:image:alt: Devin Nunes Is Suing For Defamation. But in 2010, He Said Anyone Can 'Smear' Politicians og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Devin Nunes Is Suing for Defamation. But in 2010, He Said You Should Be Allowed to 'Smear' Politicians twitter:description: 'I think there’s people that have every right to say what they want,' he said twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt461af96f5be53b9d/6989470f457a525f96d60bb3/devin-nunes-smears-2010.jpg?branch=production&width=1024&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Devin Nunes Is Suing for Defamation. But in 2010, He Said You Should Be Allowed to 'Smear' Politicians > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. 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Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. by [Rachel E. Greenspan](https://time.com/author/rachel-e-greenspan/) ## Rachel E. Greenspan Mar 21, 2019 6:59 PM UTC  Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., speaks during the House Intelligence Committee hearing on Thursday, July 19, 2018\. Nunes is suing multiple Twitter accounts, and the social media platform itself, for defamation, years after he said everyone can 'smear' politicians. Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., speaks during the House Intelligence Committee hearing on Thursday, July 19, 2018\. Nunes is suing multiple Twitter accounts, and the social media platform itself, for defamation, years after he said everyone can 'smear' politicians. Bill Clark—CQ-Roll Call,Inc. by [Rachel E. Greenspan](https://time.com/author/rachel-e-greenspan/) ## Rachel E. Greenspan Mar 21, 2019 6:59 PM UTC [Rep. Devin Nunes](http://time.com/5554340/nunes-sues-twitter/) is suing multiple Twitter accounts, and the social media platform itself, for defamation. But in 2010, the California Republican said that everyone has the right to “smear” politicians they disagree with. “I think there’s people that have every right to say what they want,” he said on C-SPAN, in response to racist [comments against Rep. John Lewis and Rep. Andre Carson](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/rep-protesters-yelled-racial-slurs/) made by protesters ahead of Congress’ vote on the Affordable Care Act. “If they want to smear someone, they can do it.” Nunes then said that of the thousands protesters at the Capitol that March, not all of them could be characterized as having used racial slurs. C-SPAN host Steve Scully clarified for Nunes that those were just “some of the stories” from the protests, rather than a generalization of them all. “I think that the left loves to play up a couple incidents here or there,” Nunes responded. Nunes is seeking $250 million in his defamation lawsuit which claims accounts called “Devin Nunes’ mom,” “Devin Nunes’ cow” and a political strategist named Liz Mair collectively worked to shame him online, backed by the support of Twitter, since the company did not stop them from tweeting. The [complaint](https://www.scribd.com/document/402297422/Nunes-Complaint-3-18-19?campaign=SkimbitLtd&ad%5Fgroup=58287X1517246X974c9463b3a66f3e66d1ea88208fc05d&keyword=660149026&source=hp%5Faffiliate&medium=affiliate) says that during Nunes’ campaign for re-election in the 2018 midterms, “Mair conspired with (and presumably was paid by) one or more as-yet unknown ‘clients’ to attack and smear Nunes.” “As part of her smear campaign on behalf of clients, Mair was out to ‘stick it’ to Nunes in 2018,” the complaint claims. Watch the full video from 2010 below. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/5556217/devin-nunes-2010-smear-quote/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/5556217/devin-nunes-2010-smear-quote/"},"headline":"Devin Nunes Is Suing for Defamation. 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