Kevin McCarthy Slams Twitter for Working to ‘Silence Americans’ After Marjorie Taylor Greene Ban
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) accused Twitter on Monday of working to “silence Americans” and accused Democrats of inaction in the wake of Twitter permanently suspending Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-GA) personal account for violating its Covid-19 misinformation policy.
McCarthy called out Twitter for silencing a “sitting member of Congress,” but did not mention Greene by name. Greene’s official Twitter account for her congressional office is still active.
“Diversity of opinion is the lifeblood of our democracy. And yet that fundamental American value is under assault by Big Tech—entities that have amassed more power and more control over more speech than any other institution in history,” McCarthy said in a statement.
He accused big tech of a double standard, claiming Republicans are punished while Democrats can act with impunity.
“Americans on the political left, including popular cable news hosts, members of Congress, and even the Vice President have themselves made public comments that are now universally understood to be false,” he argued. “Yet, they face no repercussions from the gatekeepers of America’s town square.”
McCarthy also vowed to take action if the GOP flips the House in 2022: “House Republicans will be ready to take action that protects Americans when they express their constitutionally safeguarded views, just like we have laws on the books today that prohibit discrimination by corporations in many other contexts.”
In late November, Greene weighed in on McCarthy’s chances at becoming Speaker of the House and said he “doesn’t have the votes” to the GOP flips the House in 2022.
Greene’s comments made headlines at the time and highlight the leverage she and her fellow Freedom Caucus members have in a divided the Republican Conference, where a few votes may make the difference for a member securing a position in leadership.
