I heard a godol say that it is prohibited for a yid to publicly criticize the President (and other politicians) as this is a medina shel chesed and such criticism causes sinas yisroel (anti-semitism) and we are still in golus.
The Gemorah there is talking about cursing a Jewish king and actually criticizes Herod. It seems that even to curse Herod would have been permisable but wasn’t done due to fear.
Just because a godol said something doesn’t make it Torah law; the godol said it because it is Torah law. (And in this case he explained it with the sources, if you listen to his full comments.)
Must I follow the Satmar Rebbe’s interpretation in everything? If my Lithuanian Rosh Yeshiva allows me to shave, does that mean I am violating the Torah since the Satmar Rebbe forbids it?
As we both know, there are seventy faces of the Torah. You and I can follow different faces, yet the same Torah.
I believe the Gadol in question said not to be rude and insulting when criticizing the President. YWN’s editors dreamed up the part about not criticizing the President.