Elon Musk, owner of X and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. a former independent candidate for president, claimed on social media that Kamala Harris, as Vice President, would “shut down X” if the government couldn’t control it.
Both figures, who are supporters of former president Trump, shared an excerpt from a CNN interview Harris did in 2019 after a Democratic Primary Debate. Harris criticized social media in that interview for “directly speaking to millions and millions of people without any level of oversight or regulation.” She said that this “has got to stop.”
Kennedy described Harris’s statement in the clip: “Translation”: They would be shut down if their content did not conform to narratives approved by the government.
This clip was a hit on X this week. Harris’ critics cited it as proof that if he were elected president, he would stifle the freedom of expression on social media platforms.
Harris said in the full interview she wanted to delete then-President Trump’s Twitter account – before Twitter became X – because of its negative impact on society.
Bob Mueller’s report has shown that Donald Trump will obstruct justice. She stated that the El Paso Shooter’s manifesto can be viewed to see how Donald Trump’s tweets influence people’s perceptions of what they should do or not do.
Harris said that Trump’s account should be removed because it violated the Terms of Service on the website.
She spoke about the importance of regulating the platform so that speeches such as those by Donald Trump or other well-known figures don’t negatively impact millions of users.
Harris said that social media sites must have the same responsibility to fully understand their power.
She added, “They talk to millions of people without oversight or regulation.” This must stop.
Kennedy claimed that Harris was stifling freedom of speech online if it did not fit in with “government-approved stories” when she incorrectly stated that she was speaking about Musk. However, the short clip did not mention who Harris was referring to.
In his X post, he wrote: “Can someone explain that Freedom of Speech IS a RIGHT and NOT a PRIVILEGE?”
Kamala Harris: “He [Musk] has lost his privileges.”
Can someone please explain to her that freedom of speech is a RIGHT, not a “privilege”?Kamala Harris: “There has to be a responsibility placed on these social media sites to understand their power.”
Translation: “If they… https://t.co/BzuTYoJjuV— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) September 2, 2024
Musk shared Kennedy’s post with his comment on Tuesday that the Democratic Party wished to destroy freedom of speech.
He wrote: “This exactly what she believes. “The Democratic Party (Kamala is a puppet within the party).”
This is what she actually believes.
Free speech is the bedrock of democracy and the Democratic Party (Kamala is just a puppet) wants to destroy it. https://t.co/kntGcq2WnK
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 3, 2024
The Harris campaign and the DNC both declined to comment.
