Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) really doesn’t like social media companies, and he seems totally set on trying to convince just about everyone he can of his belief that these social media and tech companies are somehow nefarious threats to the American way of life — although Cruz uses these platforms freely on a regular basis. Really, the consistent conservative complaints about supposed anti-right wing censorship from big tech companies are just smoke and mirrors. There is no conspiracy on the part of social media companies like Twitter and Facebook to silence conservatives. Those claiming otherwise are just ignorantly melting down when the internet doesn’t work how they’d like.
For instance, Donald Trump Jr. himself recently posted a tweet suggesting that decreasing engagement with his posts represented some kind of conspiracy to silence him. Maybe people just don’t like his posts? Trump and his shills — including Ted Cruz — sound just desperately convinced that there’s some kind of nefarious conspiracy behind just about every metaphorical corner that they don’t happen to like. On Wednesday, during a Senate hearing featuring representatives from big tech companies as witnesses, Cruz insisted that the leaders of Twitter, Facebook, and Google might constitute the “greatest threat” to free speech and fair elections. His claim seems brazenly ridiculous on its face.
Opening his remarks, Cruz ranted:
‘I want to thank you, Mr. Chairman, for holding this hearing. The three witnesses we have before this committee today collectively pose — I believe — the single-greatest threat to free speech in America, and the greatest threat we have to free and fair elections.’
Cruz is wrong. There is no documented conspiracy to silence conservative voices on social media, period. Just take a look at the success of Donald Trump’s own vitriol-spewing Twitter account! Check out Cruz’s comments below:
Ted Cruz is working hard to craft that perfect 30-second Fox News bite of him owning the libs pic.twitter.com/LKbbvhuoTc
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 28, 2020
At another point during the same Wednesday Senate hearing, Cruz posed the following so-called question to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey — and Cruz sounded quite heated:
‘Mr. Dorsey, who the hell elected you and put you in charge of what the media are allowed to report and what the American people are allowed to hear, and why do you persist in behaving as a Democratic super PAC, silencing views to the contrary of your political beliefs?’
Watch Cruz’s unhinged “questioning” below:
.@brianschatz: "We never do this and there is a very good reason we don't call people before us & yell at them for not doing our bidding during an election. It is a misuse of taxpayer dollars. It's happening here and it's a scar on this committee and the US Senate." pic.twitter.com/RRry5omFEt
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) October 28, 2020
Making quite clear just how “seriously” that Cruz took the proceedings, before the hearing unfolded, Cruz tweeted a graphic that characterized the hearing as a wrestling match between himself and Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey. The graphic called Cruz a “Free Speech Champion” and Dorsey a “Censorship Czar” — which Dorsey just is not, in any legitimate respect. This whole debacle is just a ridiculous GOP-led farce.
Today at 10am ET/9am CT @twitter CEO @jack will testify before @SenateCommerce. There, I intend to get answers from Jack about Twitter’s obvious and transparent attempts to interfere in this election. pic.twitter.com/tHuGL1zyUg
— Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) October 28, 2020
