Historically the left has never been a champion of free speech. On the contrary, the left has always sought to silence speech. That's what they do.
You mean Joe McCathy was a Democrat? McCarthy ran the greatest anti-free speech crusade in American history with his communist witch hunts. Anyone who had ever attended a communist party gathering, even inadvertently, was accused by his House "UnAmerican Activities Committee". So much for "freedom of association" and "freedom of speech" laws. The government was not only prosecuting people for these things, they did so with the blessing of the Republican Party, under the leadership of a popular Republican President.
So don't try to pretend that the Republican Party has ever been a champion of free speech.