The Twitter account for Mitch McConnell’s campaign was locked after posting video of hate-filled protesters, some calling out death threats – right in front of the Senate Majority Leader’ own home.
Twitter has allowed accounts by other users, like Democratic Rep. Joaquin Castro, to remain active despite his posting of the names of Trump donors, but froze McConnell’s reelection campaign account for exposing the profane mob outside his own home.
“This morning, Twitter locked our account for posting the video of real-world, violent threats made against Mitch McConnell,” the Kentucky Republican’s campaign manager, Kevin Golden, said in a statement, according to Fox News. “This is the problem with the speech police in America today.”
“The Lexington-Herald can attack Mitch with cartoon tombstones of his opponents. But we can’t mock it. Twitter will allow the words ‘Massacre Mitch’ to trend nationally on their platform. But locks our account for posting actual threats against us,” Golden added. “We appealed and Twitter stood by their decision, saying our account will remain locked until we delete the video.”
JUST IN: @Team_Mitch is in @Twitter jail. https://t.co/AhYcHX703k #KYSen #FreeMitch pic.twitter.com/2sFu9pYgjm
— Philmonger (@phillipmbailey) August 7, 2019
The video shared by “Team Mitch” – and by other conservative Twitter users who were also locked out of the social media platform – showed protesters demonstrating outside of the senator’s home while he was believed to be inside recovering from a fractured shoulder he sustained after a fall.
Black Lives Matter Louisville leader Chanelle Helm and others appeared in a livestreamed video from the protest which took place in the wake of mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio on the weekend. Helm could be heard repeatedly cursing and even said she wished McConnell had “broken his little, raggedy, wrinkled-ass neck” instead of just hurting his shoulder.
“Just stab the motherf—er in the heart,” she said after another protester made a remark about a McConnell voodoo doll.
Helm apparently saw nothing wrong in her comments.
“McConnell doesn’t care about people who actually do break their necks, who need insulin, who need any type of medication, because they want to stop and prevent health care for all,” she told the Lousville Courier-Journal “And that is something that every American out here wants. There’s only a few Americans who don’t want that, and those people are politicians and their cronies.”
McConnell’s team had tweeted that law enforcement was notified of the violent threats being made against the GOP leader, calling them “serious calls to physical violence” while noting how New York Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez was “trying to dox some underage kids” after slamming a group of McConnell-supporting boys in a photo with a cardboard cutout of her.
These threats go far beyond a political cartoon or a broken shoulder, they are serious calls to physical violence and we’ve alerted law enforcement.
— Team Mitch (@Team_Mitch) August 6, 2019
“Team Mitch in no way condones any aggressive, suggestive, or demeaning act toward life-sized cardboard cutouts of any gender,” Golden said after Ocasio-Cortez drew attention to the photo on Twitter. “These young men are not campaign staff, they’re high schoolers and it’s incredible that the national media has sought to once again paint a target on their backs rather than report real, and significant news in our country.”
The campaign’s comments were essentially mischaracterized and the resulting backlash, not surprisingly, spiraled out of control.
The McConnell team’s account was locked because a tweet “violated our violent threats policy, specifically threats involving physical safety,” according to Twitter, which seemingly had no problem with the hashtag “Massacre Mitch” which was trending on the weekend following the tragic shootings.
But Team Mitch was not the only one feeling the effects of Twitter’s double standards.
The Daily Wire’s Ryan Saavedra noted that Twitter did not want the “Left’s pure hatred exposed because it damages the narrative that many at Twitter have.”
By suspending me for telling the truth, Twitter is making it clear that they seek to control the news media and only allow content on their platform that does not expose the evil, projection, and hypocrisy of the political Left.
Do not be surprised if they permanently ban me.
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) August 7, 2019
Capitol Hill communications director Ben Goldey shared the protest videos and faced the same fate.
My account was temporarily suspended after posting a video of far-left activists chanting death threats at Senator McConnell. pic.twitter.com/d9vW0Jy5YY
— Ben Goldey (@BenGoldey) August 7, 2019
Meanwhile, @Castro4Congress’ tweet, targeting his own constituents by name and employer is still up and does not violate Twitter’s Rules.
— Ben Goldey (@BenGoldey) August 7, 2019
CNN contributor Scott Jennings called the move by Twitter “outrageous.”
Yesterday @twitter allowed a Dem Prez campaign (Castro) to publish names of Trump donors in TX in hopes an angry mob would form.
Today @Twitter suspends Mitch McConnell (R) for alerting the world to an actual angry mob, complete w/ death threats, in his yard.
OUTRAGEOUS.
— Scott Jennings (@ScottJenningsKY) August 7, 2019
“Mitch McConnell has people on his yard threatening to “stab the motherf******” in the heart” & @twitter suspends MCCONNELL from its platform,” the political commentator and former McConnell aide tweeted.”This nation needs to heal & this platform is actively removing voices from the conversation who can help find solutions. Absolute garbage.”
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Frieda@bizpacreview.com
Originally from New York, Powers graduated from New York University and eventually made her way to sunny South Florida where she has been writing for the BizPacReview team since 2015.
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