Vindman says he "should have sued" Trump proxies and right-wing media

• He said "Trump proxies amplified these themes on television news, internet news, and social media, resulting in risks to my life and my reputation as a public servant," noting he "did not respond forcefully to the threats and defamation."

Of note: Some First Amendment advocates worry that defamation lawsuits can be used as a vehicle to silence the press. And Vindman notes in his op-ed that the First Amendment "gravely limits the available tools to seek accountability for the right-wing media."

• "Nevertheless, there are ways to dismantle the right-wing ecosystem of disinformation, an ecosystem that does not begin with insurrection but with more mundane lies," he added.
• "Like the many political elites driving insurrection to advance their political aims, the right-wing media is also motivated by a bottom-line calculation: viewers, market share and advertising dollars."

Our thought bubble, via Axios' Sara Fischer: Defamation lawsuits and threats against Fox and other conservative personalities and networks have so far proven somewhat effective in squashing election fraud hoaxes.

• But it's doubtful in many situations if lawsuits after-the-fact can do much to reverse the damage that's already been done.