The conservative site Breitbart is reporting that "ballot chasers" for Trump were allegedly given an hour to clear out after the host learned that they were in Pennsylvania to get out the vote for Trump. If true, the incident raises a serious matter for Airbnb over hosts imposing political conditions for the use of their property.

Once again, we have not heard the other side to this controversy. However, if these allegations are established, it raises a variation of an issue that has been discussed for years on this blog: the role of private companies or businesses in censoring speech or blacklisting individuals.

First for the obvious threshold point. Private property owners have a right to exclude people from their property on any number of issues. This homeowner is likely to be lionized by many who agree with the decision. If an owner wants to run their home like an Airdnc, they have every right to do so. The question is whether they can do so as an Airbnb.

It is worth noting that many of the same individuals supporting this owner likely opposed the right of business owners in cases like Masterpiece Cake Shop and 303 Creative. In those cases, the owners refused to make products for celebrations that conflicted with their religious views.

I have previously written why businesses should have the right of such denial as a matter of free speech, including in my book "The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage."

In this case, an owner is accused of refusing service or rentals based on political grounds.

The question is not whether this owner has the right of exclusion in a home, but whether Airbnb is now allowing such threshold political tests to be applied by owners. It would create an uncertainty for guests who would not know if they may be tossed to the street if they reveal their political viewpoints or affiliations.

The incident could be a type of micro-cancel problem. We have seen universities and colleges cancel conservative and libertarian speakers under pressure from faculty and students who cannot tolerate opposing views from being spoken on campuses.

Citizens Alliance's PA CHASE says that it is still pursuing a requested $5,000 refund.