Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s re-election campaign and other conservatives' Twitter accounts were temporarily locked for posting video of protesters outside the senator’s Louisville, Kentucky, home, arguing that it violates the company’s “violent threats policy.”
“This morning, Twitter locked our account for posting the video of real-world, violent threats made against Mitch McConnell," McConnell campaign manager Kevin Golden said in a statement. "This is the problem with the speech police in America today."
McConnell, 77, has been resting at home since tripping on his patio fracturing his shoulder on Sunday -- and the Team Mitch account posted images showing him at his residence. In the wake of this weekend's deadly mass shootings in El Paso, Texas and Dayton, Ohio, the hashtag "Massacre Mitch" trended on Twitter -- and some activists took their case to McConnell's residence.
In a livestream video of the protest, Black Lives Matter Louisville leader Chanelle Helm, standing with other demonstrators outside McConnell's home, said that he "should have broken his little raggedy, wrinkled-(expletive) neck" rather than fracturing his shoulder.
"Just stab the m----- f----- in the heart," Helm said, after a fellow demonstrator referenced a McConnell voodoo doll. (FoxNews.com)
"The Lexington-Herald can attack Mitch with cartoon tombstones of his opponents. But we can’t mock it,” Golden added. “Twitter will allow the words 'Massacre Mitch' to trend nationally on their platform. But locks our account for posting actual threats against us. We appealed and Twitter stood by their decision, saying our account will remain locked until we delete the video.”
The Daily Wire's Ryan Saavedra also had his account suspended for posting the video.
“By suspending McConnell's re-election campaign for exposing the violent rhetoric directed at McConnell, which was allowed to foment on Twitter for days, Twitter is interfering in the 2020 elections in a manner to help Democrats and hurt Republicans,” he said. “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.”
He added: “Do not be surprised if they permanently ban me.”
By suspending McConnell's re-election campaign for exposing the violent rhetoric directed at McConnell, which was allowed to foment on Twitter for days, Twitter is interfering in the 2020 elections in a manner to help Democrats and hurt Republicans
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) August 7, 2019
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.
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) August 7, 2019
Do not be surprised if they permanently ban me.
Capitol Hill communications director Ben Goldey, whose account was also suspended, pointed out that Joaquin Castro’s account was still active, even after posting the names of Trump donors and their employers in a tweet.
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
Saavedra noted other instances of Twitter applying its "rules" unfairly.
Peter Fonda called for women in the Trump administration to stripped naked and physically beaten
— Ryan Saavedra (@RealSaavedra) August 7, 2019
He called for Trump admin officials to have their kids taken from them and thrown in cages with pedophiles
Twitter allowed him to keep his verified account https://t.co/Zww5HmvDUt
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