Is the video true in which Kamala Harris says that X needs to be closed?

In September 2024, the news spread that, in case of winning the election of the US president, a candidate from the Democratic Party was going to block a popular social network. The basis for this is a video on which the politician allegedly acts with the corresponding initiative. We checked the truthfulness of this news.

On September 3, 2024, the Russian media and Telegram channels spoke about the excerpt from an interview with the US presidential candidate from the Democratic Party Kamaly Harris, in which the politician allegedly calls for censorship or completely block the H. The authors of many publications referred to the statement of the owner of the platform Ilon Mask. For example, TV presenter Vladimir Solovyov in his Telegram channel (223,000 views at the time of writing this analysis) reported: “The American authorities will demand to delete the application of the social network X in the event of the election of Harris to the post of president of the United States, Ilon Musk said.” Notes with such headlines published "RIA Novosti","TASS" Lenta.ru, "Vedomosti","Rambler / News","National News Service"And others.

The excitement about the possible restrictions on the work of the social network X in the United States flared up against the background of the scandal in Brazil. In April 2024 Musk declaredWhat will restore accounts, which the Supreme Court of the Latin American country previously demanded to block for the spread of fake news and inciting hatred. According to x, judge Alyshandre Moraes threatened arrest one of the representatives of the platform in Brazil, if the instructions are not executed. Because of this, in mid-August, the owner of X announced the termination of the platform in Brazil due to “censorship requirements”, thereby the social network violated local legislation, According to which Similar services should have its authorized person in the country. The authorities of Brazil Obligated The mask is appointed a new representative within a day, but this condition was not met. Then the court on August 30 Demanded Block the X in the country, and Apple and Google companies to delete the social network application from your stores.

Throughout the active phase of the conflict, Musk published numerous tweets accusing Judge Moraes of censorship, and warned that in the event of Harris’s victory in the presidential election in November 2024, such a fate was also prepared for the social network in the United States. For example, September 3, 2024, a businessman wrote: “The false judge forces Apple and Google to remove the X from his app stores. This will happen here if Kamal is chosen for presidents. ” It is this tweet quoted Many Russian -speaking media. Some Telegram channels also attached fragment The video on which Harris supposedly speaks of the need to block X.

This video appeared in the X blogs popular in the social network @EndwokeNess And @Clownworld_ Approximately at the same time on August 31. The author of the first tweet accompanied the video with the signature: “Kamal supports what Brazil had just done with X. How do I know? She wants to do it here (in the video. - Approx. Ed.). ” The author of the second tweet wrote: "Kamala will close X if he wins." In the video, Harris says: “He lost his privileges, and he should be closed. In the end, we cannot have some standards for Facebook and others for Twitter. For everything, there should be the same rules, namely, social media sites should be responsible and understand the power of their influence. They directly turn to millions of people without any supervision or regulation, and this must be stopped. ”

September 3 Musk Retwitted Fast @endwoKenses, accompanying him Emoji 💯, and ex-candidate for US President Robert F. Kennedy Jr. output from the race and supported Trump, Shared The tweet @clownworld_ and wrote: "Kamala Harris:" He [Musk] lost his privileges. " Someone can explain to her that freedom of speech is a right, not a "privilege"? " The politician added: “Translation (words Harris. - Approx. Ed.): If social networks do not supervise the content so that it supports the narratives approved by the state, they will be closed.” A few hours later mask Commented Kennedy tweet: “She really believes in it. Freedom of speech is the basis of democracy, and the Democratic Party (Kamala is just a puppet) wants to destroy it. ”

Although Harris has become a viral video with a contradictory statement, the words of the politician were torn from context. This is a fragment interview, which Harris (at that time, the senator from California and participant in the primaries of the Democratic Party) gave CNN to the CNN television channel. The politician then commented on not the social network in general, but the posts of President Donald Trump. The host of CNN Jake Tapper asked Harris to explain her call to block the personal account of the head of state. She replied: “Trump demonstrated that she is able to impede justice,” and also added that his tweets can determine the actions of people, giving an example Joking in the city of El Paso (23 people became the victims of the shooter, another 22 were injured). “Read the shooter manifest in El Paso, and it will become clear to you that Donald Trump's words on Twitter have an influence on people's perception of what they should and should not do. He (Trump. - Approx. Ed.) Lost his privileges, and his [account on Twitter] should be closed. ” At the same time, Harris did not urge to close the platform itself. In the end Twitter Blocked Trump's account, referring to the "risk of further incitement to violence" after assault Capitol of the United States January 6, 2021. In November 2022, Musk bought a social network, which he then renamed X, and Restored The account of the former president, although he continued to use his own Truth Social platform.

Thus, in the viral video, Harris did not call for the social network of H. The fragment was cut out of an interview with the politician of the CNN channel five years ago, in which she speaks of the need to block the Trump account due to his “calls for violence”, which, according to her, provoked a massacre in El Paso.

Photo on the cover: Wikimedia Commons

Teared out of context

What do our verdicts mean?

Read on the topic:

1. The New York Times. El Paso Shooting Suspest’s Manifesto Echoes Trump’s Language
2. Time. What to Know ABOUT ELON MUSK’s BATTLE with A Brazilian Judge Over Speech On Social Media
3. NPR. How Trump's "Will BE Wild!" Tweet Drew Rioters to the Capitol On Jan. 6
4. Politico. YES, IT WAS A Coup Attempt. Here’s who
5. Poynter. No, Kamala Harris Did Not Say Will Shut Down X If Elected
6. “The most liberal senator” and “Woman in a blue suit”. Analysis of five allegations about Kamal Harris