"YouTube is free to remove content, and others are free to ask YouTube to do so. To say otherwise is to limit their freedom."
YouTube is free to listen to anyone, but the executive branch of the government should not be the one asking. If it is illegal or top secret content, then fine and dandy, there are rules for that. Otherwise, it is an attempt to intimidate YouTube and squelch their 1st amendment rights.
I'm not sure how this was intimidation? It was a request, and YouTube declined it. That proves that YouTube's is free to act as it chooses. (YouTube could also have decided to remove it, regardless of the request to remove it, and that would be within YouTube's rights as well - and not contrary to the video poster's rights.)
YouTube is free to listen to anyone, but the executive branch of the government should not be the one asking. If it is illegal or top secret content, then fine and dandy, there are rules for that. Otherwise, it is an attempt to intimidate YouTube and squelch their 1st amendment rights.