>> Vice President Pence: IT’S
GREAT TO BE HERE, BELOW I DO
FIELD...
OUTNUMBERED.
[LAUGHTER]
>> Emily: WE BEGIN WITH
ELON MUSK GOING UP AGAINST SOME
OF THE MOST POWERFUL FORCES IN
THE COUNTRY, TAKING ON THE
DEMOCRAT ESTABLISHMENT, ITS
MEDIA ENFORCERS, AND
SILICON VALLEY IN THE FIGHT FOR
FREE SPEECH.
THE WHITE HOUSE’S WARNING THAT
IT IS KEEPING A "CLOSE EYE" ON TWITTER.
>> ARE YOU CONCERNED -- MORE AND
MORE SUBSCRIBERS ONLINE -- ARE
YOU CONCERNED ABOUT THAT, AND
WHAT TOOLS DO YOU HAVE, WHO IS
IT AT THE WHITE HOUSE THAT IS
REALLY KEEPING TRACK OF THIS?
>> THIS IS SOMETHING THAT WE ARE
KEEPING AN EYE ON.
WE HAVE ALWAYS BEEN VERY CLEAR
THAT WHEN IT COMES TO
SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS, IT IS
THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO MAKE
SURE THAT WHEN IT COMES TO
MISINFORMATION, THE HATE WE ARE
SEEING, THAT THEY TAKE ACTION,
CONTINUE TO TAKE ACTION.
WE ARE ALL KEEPING A CLOSE EYE
ON THIS.
>> Emily: MAYBE THAT’S BECAUSE
MUSK SAYS HE WILL REALLY
SOMETHING THAT WILL -- INCLUDING
THE CENSORSHIP OF THE HUNDRED
ITEM LAPTOP STORY.
"SOON TO BE PUBLISHED ON TWITTER
ITSELF.
THE PUBLIC DESERVES TO KNOW WHAT
REALLY HAPPENED."
ELON MUSK ALSO SAYS THAT STAKES
ARE HIGH FOR THE COUNTRY,
TWEETING "THIS IS A BATTLE FOR
THE FUTURE OF CIVILIZATION.
IF FREE SPEECH IS LOST EVEN IN
AMERICA, TIERNEY IS ALL THAT
LIES AHEAD."
MR. VICE PRESIDENT, IS
ELON MUSK’S RIGHT?
>> Carley: I THINK HE IS
EXACTLY RIGHT --
>> Vice President Pence: I
THINK HE IS EXACTLY RIGHT.
THE FOUNDATION OF THIS COUNTRY’S
FREEDOM, AND FREEDOM OF THE
PRESS -- BOLD WORK OF WHY THIS
NATION IS EXTRAORDINARY AND
EXCEPTIONAL.
TO SEE IN THE WHITE HOUSE PRESS
ROOM THE SUGGESTION THAT THE
PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
IS KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON ANY
ELEMENT OF THE MEDIA IS DEEPLY
OFFENSIVE TO ME.
YOUR JOB IN THE MEDIA TO KEEP AN
EYE ON -- ELECTED OFFICIALS.
I WAS GOVERNOR, EVENTUALLY
VICE PRESIDENT -- AS YOU
SUGGEST, I THINK IT MAY WELL BE
BECAUSE ELON MUSK, WHO I CAME TO
KNOW VERY WELL IN THE FOUR YEARS
OF THE TRUMP/PENCE
ADMINISTRATION -- I THINK HE’S
FINALLY ABLE TO RELEASE
INFORMATION ABOUT THE HUNTER
BIDEN STORY, AND AS I WRITE MY AUTOBIOGRAPHY "WAS A
DISGRACE --
"IN MY AUTOBIOGRAPHY "SO HELP ME
GOD," IT WAS A DISGRACE.
EMAILS WERE REVEALED, AND SOCIAL
PLATFORMS INCLUDING TWITTER
SUPPRESSED ACCESS TO THIS NEWS
STORY, THAT WAS DEEPLY OFFENSIVE
TO ME.
TWITTER WAS NOT THE ONLY ONE,
BUT THE FACT THAT THEY ARE GOING
TO COME OUT WITH THIS
INFORMATION, I HAVE TO BELIEVE
THAT SOME OF THE PEOPLE WALKING
AROUND IN THE WEST WING, ONE OF
THE REASONS WHY THEY ARE KEEPING
A CLOSE EYE.
>> Emily: SIR, WHAT ROLE DO
YOU SEE THE GOVERNMENT PLAYING
IN THIS, IF ANY AT ALL?
>> Vice President Pence: I
THINK IT’S IMPORTANT THAT WE
RECOGNIZE THAT EVEN IN A FREE
SOCIETY, YOU ARE NOT FREE TO
YELL FIRE IN A CROWDED THEATER.
THERE ARE BASIC ELEMENTS, BASIC
REQUIREMENTS OF MAINTAINING THE
DEBATE, AND TWITTER IS ABOUT
THAT.
THEY HAVE REAFFIRMED THEIR
COMMITMENT TO THAT.
I HAVE GREAT CONFIDENCE IN THAT.
WE ALWAYS ERR ON THE SIDE OF
FREEDOM AND FREEDOM OF SPEECH.
FOR HEAVEN SAKES, WE ARE ON THE
CUSP OF A HEROIC PERSON NAMED
JIM ELI -- FACING A TRIAL IN
HONG KONG FOR SANDY FOR FREEDOM
OF SPEECH AND FREEDOM OF THE
PRESS.
WE OUGHT TO BE SENDING A
DEAFENING MESSAGE FOR SUPPORT
FOR THAT MAN AND THE STANCE HE
HAS TAKEN, AND OUGHT TO BE
PUSHING BACK ON ANY RHETORIC IN
A PUBLIC DEBATE THAT WOULD SEND
A MESSAGE OTHER THAN THAT WE
BELIEVE IN FREEDOM OF SPEECH.
>> Emily: MARTHA, THE
VICE PRESIDENT BRINGS UP
HONG KONG, A TERRITORY OF CHINA.
CRITICS ARGUE THAT NO MORE
ENTITY HAS BEEN -- OF THEIR
CENSORSHIP, A COG IN THE WHEEL
OR THE ACTUAL PROXY THEY ON THE
APPLE ITSELF, AND IN THAT
SHOWDOWN BETWEEN APPLE AND
TWITTER, TO THE TUNE OF
$40 MILLION WORTH OF AD REVENUE
PER YEAR.
WHERE DO YOU SEE THAT GOING?
>> I THINK IT’S FASCINATING WHEN
YOU SEE WHAT’S HAPPENING IN
CHINA, YOU SEE PEOPLE STANDING
UP FOR FREEDOM.
I WANT TO SAY ABOUT ELON MUSK,
AUNT -- FIRST OF ALL
MR. VICE PRESIDENT, GREAT TO
HAVE YOU TODAY, THANK YOU FOR
YOUR SERVICE TO THIS COUNTRY
OVER ALL OF THE YEARS THAT YOU
HAVE SERVED.
ELON MUSK IS A FASCINATING
CHARACTER IN THE HISTORY OF THIS
COUNTRY.
YOU LOOK AT WHAT HE HAS DONE
WITH ROCKETS TO SPACE, ELECTRIC
VEHICLES.
HE’S PUSHING THE ENVELOPE, HE
LIKES FAILURE, LIKES IT WHEN
THINGS DON’T WORK BECAUSE YOU --
WHAT YOU LEARN WHEN YOU FAIL
OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
THE GREAT DOCUMENTARY ABOUT
SPACEX, WHICH REALLY SHOWS HOW
DEDICATED HE IS.
I DON’T THINK HE’S GOING AWAY
FROM THIS FIGHT ANYTIME SOON,
AND I THINK YOU ARE RIGHT.
I THINK IT STRIKES FEAR IN THE
HEARTS OF A LOT OF PEOPLE IN
WASHINGTON AND SOME OF THE
MEDIA, THAT HE WILL ALLOW LIGHT
TO BE SHOWN.
IT’S FUNNY THAT THEY WHITE HOUSE
IS KEEPING AN EYE ON TWITTER, A
PRIVATE COMPANY.
SUBSTITUTE OTHER MEDIA
ORGANIZATIONS FOR THE WORD
TWITTER IN THE ORGANIZATION --
"WE ARE KEEPING AN EYE ON YOU,
NEWSPAPERS AND MEDIA
ORGANIZATIONS."
THINK ABOUT WHAT RIGHTFUL CHILL
THAT SENDS DOWN PEOPLES SPINES.
THAT’S SOMETHING WE HAVE TO BE
CAUTIOUS OF.
I THINK HE’S GOING TO KEEP
PRESSING, I THINK IT’S GOOD FOR
THE PROCESS, AND WE HAD A LOT OF
DISINFORMATION ACROSS TWITTER
WHEN IT CAME TO COVID, WHEN IT
COMES TO GENDER SURGERY, ALL
THESE THINGS.
THERE’S A CHECK ON TWITTER.
IT’S CALLED COMMONS.
[LAUGHTER]
WHEN YOU POST SOMETHING, PEOPLE
WEIGH IN AND SAY "THAT’S NOT
TRUE, YOU ARE LYING, THAT’S NOT
FACTUAL."
THAT IS THE FORUM, THE
TOWN HALL.
I THINK THE WHITE HOUSE CAN
RELAX AND ALLOW THAT PROCESS TO
PLAY OUT, AND LET’S SEE WHAT
ELON MUSK -- WANTS TO BE ABLE TO
UNLEASH IN TERMS OF THIS FORUM.
>> Emily: THAT IS SUCH A GREAT
POINT, AINSLEY, THAT THE PUBLIC
DOES IT -- FREE SPEECH, THE
BEAUTY OF IT, IS THAT YOUR
FELLOW AMERICANS GET TO WEIGH IN
IN.
>> Ainsley: AND THAT IS WHY
ELON SAID HE WANTS IT, WANTS
THAT FREE FORM, PUBLIC FORUM,
THE TOWN SQUARE WHERE EVERYONE
CAN WEIGH IN.
HE’S NOT A REPUBLICAN.
HE DID ENDORSE DeSANTIS PAN
WANTS HIM TO RUN FOR PRESIDENT,
BUT HAS VOTED FOR JOE BIDEN --
ALL DEMOCRATS UNTIL RECENTLY, SO
HE GOT THIS BECAUSE HE LOVES OUR
COUNTRY AND LOVES THAT WE HAVE
FREE SPEECH.
WE ARE SITTING ON THE SOFA WITH
THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.
THINK ABOUT THAT.
ALL OF OUR BACKGROUNDS, WHERE WE
CAME FROM -- I’M FROM
SOUTH CAROLINA.
I WOULD GO TO WASHINGTON, D.C.,
STAND IN FRONT OF THE
WHITE HOUSE, AND TAKE PICTURES
WITH MY FAMILY.
NEXT THING YOU KNOW, WE HAVE AN
OPPORTUNITY TO GO IN THE
OVAL OFFICE, INTERVIEW THE
PRESIDENT AND VICE PRESIDENT.
WE HAVE A GREAT COUNTRY, IT’S A
SLIPPERY SLOPE.
IF WE CONTINUE TO NOT ALLOW
FREE SPEECH, AND WE ARE SEEING
THAT HAPPENING LITTLE BY
LITTLE -- THEN WE COULD END UP
LIKE A CHINA, LIKE IN IRAN,
WHERE YOU CAN’T FREELY PROTEST
OR YOU WILL GET KILLED BECAUSE
YOU DON’T HAVE YOUR SCARF ON THE
RIGHT WAY.
I DON’T KNOW WHY EVERYONE IS SO
UPSET WITH ELON, AND WHY THEY
WANT -- NOT BUY TWITTER AND ARE
SCARED OF WHAT HE’S GOING TO DO.
HE JUST WANTS FREE SPEECH.
BUT THIS IS NOT A REVOLUTION.
>> Vice President Pence: TO
MARTHA’S POINT IF I MAY, I GOT
TO KNOW ELON MUSK WELL WHEN I
LED THE NATIONAL SPACE COUNCIL,
AND WE WORKED VERY CLOSELY WITH
SPACEX.
I WAS HEARTENED WHEN HE GOT OUT
HIS CHECKBOOK, $44 BILLION, AND
BOUGHT TWITTER.
FRANKLY, MY IMPRESSION OF
TWITTER ALWAYS WAS, ALTHOUGH I
SERVED IN THE WHITE HOUSE FOR
SOMEBODY THAT USED TWITTER A
FAIR AMOUNT.
[LAUGHTER]
EVERY DAY.
WE ACCESS THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
VERY REGULARLY, BUT I ALWAYS HAD
A SENSE, AND I WORRY ABOUT THE
SUPPRESSION OF CONSERVATIVE
VOICES, THE SUPPRESSION OF
CONSERVATIVE VIEWS IN
SOCIAL MEDIA, INCLUDING ON
TWITTER.
NOT JUST THE HUNTER BIDEN STORY.
I’M WITH YOU, I REALLY DO
BELIEVE THAT ELON MUSK’S
POLITICS ARE DIFFERENT THAN
MINE.
I KNOW HIM WELL ENOUGH TO KNOW
HIS POLITICS ARE DIFFERENT THAN
MINE ON MANY ISSUES, BUT HE HAS
A BIAS FOR FREEDOM, FOR AMERICAN
INNOVATION.
>> YOU BRING UP A GREAT POINT
ABOUT THE SLIPPERY SLOPE, WHICH
IS WHY THIS MATTERS.
LAST YEAR IT WOULDN’T
KARINE JEAN-PIERRE SO THAT THE
BIDEN ADMINISTRATION IS WORKING
WITH SOCIAL MEDIA COMPANIES TO
LIMIT COVID-19 MISINFORMATION --
SO THAT’S THE GOVERNMENT SAYING
WHAT IS GOOD AND BAD SPEECH AND
TALKING TO A SOCIAL MEDIA
COMPANY ABOUT IT, WHICH SOUNDS A
LOT LIKE A FIRST AMENDMENT
VIOLATION, THIS GOVERNANCE BOARD
THAT WAS DISBANDED -- AND
BECAUSE OF THE INTERCEPT FUND,
REPORTEDLY FOUND OUT THAT DHS
STILL PLANS TO GO AFTER COVID
MISINFORMATION, RACIAL
INJUSTICE, AND INFORMATION ON
THE WITHDRAWAL FROM AFGHANISTAN.
YOU THINK ABOUT WHAT THE DHS --
CREATED AFTER 9/11 TO PROTECT
AMERICANS FROM TERRORISTS.
HOW DID THEY BECOME AN
ORGANIZATION THAT IS PROTECTING
AMERICANS OR TRYING TO CENSOR
SOME SORT OF SPEECH?
THAT’S A REALLY BIG SLIPPERY
SLOPE, SO ALL OF THIS MATTERS.
IT’S GOING TO BE A VERY
INTERESTING FIGHT.
ELON MUSK IS A VERY UNIQUE GUY,
BUT HAS POWERS AGAINST HIM
INCLUDING THE GOVERNMENT AND