WATCH: Kristen Welker Reads Ted Cruz Tweet on Trump Facebook Ban and Asks Psaki ‘Does He Have a Point?’

MSNBC White House correspondent Kristen Welker read aloud a tweet from Ted Cruz slamming Facebook’s continued suspension of former President Donald Trump, and asked Press Secretary Jen Psaki “Does he have a point?”

The Texas senator tweeted a message following the news that the Facebook Oversight Board had delivered it ruling that Trump will remain suspended pending a final policy decision by the social media giant.

“Disgraceful,” Cruz wrote, adding “For every liberal celebrating Trump’s social media ban if the Big Tech oligarchs can muzzle the former President, what’s to stop them from silencing you?”

Disgraceful.

For every liberal celebrating Trump’s social media ban, if the Big Tech oligarchs can muzzle the former President, what’s to stop them from silencing you? https://t.co/Yky4P0B38X

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) May 5, 2021

At Wednesday’s briefing, Welker noted Facebook’s announcement, read that tweet aloud and asked Psaki “Does he have a point?”

“Let me first say that this is an independent board’s decision and we’re not going to have any comment on the future of the former president’s social media platform,” Psaki said, and added that “it sounds like the independent board punted back to Facebook to make in the next 6 months.”

“The president’s view is that the major platforms have a responsibility, related to the health and safety of all Americans, to stop amplifying untrustworthy content, disinformation, and misinformation, especially related to Covid-19, vaccinations, and elections,” Psaki continued, and added that “there’s more that needs to be done to ensure that this type of misinformation, disinformation, damaging sometimes life-threatening information, is not going out to the American public.”

“You’re saying more that needs to be done, is there any concerns though about First Amendment rights, and where does the White House draw the line on that?” Welker asked.

“Well look, I think we are of course a believer in First Amendment rights, I think what the decisions that the social media platforms need to make is how they address the disinformation, misinformation, especially related to life-threatening issues like Covid-19 and vaccinations that continue to proliferate on their platforms,” Psaki said.

Watch above via C-Span.

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!