JACKIE.
JACKIE: CONNELL McSHANE, THANK
YOU.
WITH MORE ON THIS IS HOUSE
HOMELAND SECURITY AN HOUSE
COUNTERTERRORISM SUBCOMMITTEE
RANKING MEMBER, CONGRESSMAN
AUGUST PFLUEGER.
CONGRESSMAN, THANKS SO MUCH FOR
JOINING US TONIGHT.
BEFORE WE GET TO THE APPLE AND
GOOGLING PART OF THIS LET’S
START WITH THE LETTER YOU WROTE
TO ELON MUSK AND WHAT YOU WERE
ASKING FOR.
>> JACKIE, THANK YOU FOR HAVING
ME AND THE LETTER IS VERY
SIMPLE.
THANK GOODNESS FOR ELON MUSK
STANDING UP FOR FREE SPEECH AND
MAKING THE STATEMENTS THAT HE IS
MAKING.
WE WANT TO KNOW FROM THE NEW
CEO, FROM ELON MUSK WHAT SORT OF
REQUESTS DID THE ADMINISTRATION
MAKE TO TWITTER SPECIFICALLY TO
BE THE PURVEYOR OF TRUTH, TO
CENSOR SPEECH, TO MAKE SURE THAT
STORIES LIKE HUNTER BIDEN’S
LAPTOP OR THE ORIGINS OF COVID
WERE NOT ACTUALLY TOLD TO THE
AMERICAN PUBLIC?
IT’S A VERY SIMPLE REQUEST.
IT DOESN’T STOP THERE WITH
TWITTER THIS IS OUR BEST CHANCE
THIS SECOND TO GET TO THE BOTTOM
OF WHAT I THINK WILL BE A MUCH
LARGER STORY.
JACKIE: WELL, IF ANYBODY IS
GOING TO REVEAL THAT
INFORMATION, MIGHT BE ELON MUSK.
SO WE’RE GOING TO HAVE TO WAIT
AND SEE SPECIFICALLY HOW HE
RESPONDS, OR WHAT HE IS WILLING
TO REVEAL.
THAT BRINGS US TO THIS IDEA OF
APPLE AND GOOGLE, THESE TECH
BEHEMOTHS.
THE AMOUNT OF POWER THAT THEY
HAVE, THEY LITERALLY COULD CRUSH
TWITTER IN SOME WAYS.
THEY CRUSHED PARLER.
OF COURSE THAT’S THE FEAR.
IF YOU TAKE THE PRODUCT OFF THE
APP STORE, OFF OF APPLE PRODUCTS
FOR EXAMPLE, THAT IS A HUGE
ISSUE.
IF YOU PULL YOUR ADVERTISING
LIKE THEY ARE DOING, THAT IS A
HUGE ISSUE FOR THE COMPANY.
WE HAVE TALKED A LOT OVER THE
YEARS ABOUT THE POWER THAT THESE
COMPANIES HAVE BEEN ABLE TO
AMASS OVER TIME.
CONGRESS REALLY HASN’T DONE
ANYTHING ABOUT IT.
NOW IT APPEARS THEY’RE PLAYING
POLITICS.
>> WELL YOU’RE RIGHT AND I THINK
THAT THE GOING FORWARD IN
COMMITMENT TO AMERICA IS THE
REPUBLICANS COMMITMENT TO TAKE
ON BIG TECH AND MAKE SURE THAT
FREEDOM OF SPEECH EXISTS.
THAT CONTENT MODERATION DOESN’T
PICK WINNERS AND LOSERS.
THE ANALOGY I HEARD LATELY IS
THAT WHEN APPLE DOES SOMETHING
LIKE THIS IT IS BASICALLY LIKE
HAVING THE PITCHER AND THE
CATCHER AND THE UMPIRE ALL IN
THE SAME TEAM ALL AS ONE PERSON.
THAT’S NOT FAIR.
THERE IS NO COMPETITION THERE.
THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT WE AS
REPUBLICANS INTEND TO DO,
SHOUTOUT TO CATHY
MCMORRIS ROGERS, HOPEFULLY THE
INCOMING CHAIR OF ENERGY AND
COMMERCE WILLING TO TAKE ON
SECTION 230 TO MAKE REFORMS THAT
FREE SPEECH WILL SURVIVE AND
CONTINUE TO BE THE MOST
IMPORTANT AMENDMENT WE HAVE, THE
FIRST AMENDMENT.
JACKIE: GOVERNOR RON DESANTIS OF
FLORIDA SLAMMING APPLE.
LET’S LISTEN.
>> APPLE IS THREATENING TO
REMOVE TWITTER FROM THE APP
STORE BECAUSE ELON MUSK IS
ACTUALLY OPENING IT UP FOR FREE
SPEECH AND IS RESTORING A LOT OF
ACCOUNTS THAT WERE UNFAIRLY AND
ILLEGITIMATELY SUSPENDED FOR
PUTTING OUT ACCURATE INFORMATION
ABOUT COVID.
JACKIE: THIS IS A REPUBLICAN
GOVERNOR REACTING TO WHAT’S
HAPPENING.
THEN WE’VE GOT A TEAR FROM
"THE WASHINGTON POST."
"THE WASHINGTON POST," THE
LEFT’S OPINION ON THIS OPINION,
ELON MUSK IS HARMING FREE
EXPRESSION ON TWITTER, NOT
PROTECTING IT.
THAT’S THE SITUATION THAT WE’RE
IN RIGHT NOW, CONGRESSMAN.
YOU HAVE HALF OF PEOPLE SAYING
THAT THEY LIKED IT EXACTLY THE
WAY IT WAS.
THAT WAS YOU KNOW, BECAUSE THE
OTHER SIDE WAS SPEWING
FALSEHOODS ACCORDING TO THEM,
THAT THEY SHOULD BE CENSORED AND
WHAT ELON MUSK IS TRYING TO SAY,
WHAT THE RIGHT IS TRYING TO SAY,
WHY CAN’T EVERYBODY HAVE A
PLATFORM FOR FREE SPEECH, HAVE A
HEALTHY DIALOGUE AND DEBATE?
WHY SHOULD ANYBODY BE CENSORED?
>> THAT IS EXACTLY RIGHT.
GOVERNOR DESANTIS MAKES AN
EXCELLENT POINT.
YOU SEE THE TREND WITH THIS
ADMINISTRATION.
THEY STARTED WITH DHS TRYING TO
HAVE A DISINFORMATION BOARD.
THEY WANT TO CONTROL THE
NARRATIVE.
WHEN THE FACTS DON’T BACK UP
THEIR STORY, IT DOESN’T HAVE THE
NARRATIVE, THE NARRATIVE ISN’T
GOOD, THEY CHANGE IT OR SQUASH
IT OR CENSOR IT.
THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT IS GOING ON
HERE.
WHY IT IS SO IMPORTANT THAT WE
STAND UP FOR FREEDOM OF SPEECH.
EVEN THOUGH WE MAY NOT LIKE IT
OR MAY NOT AGREE WITH IT, IT IS
CALLED FREEDOM OF SPEECH FOR A
REASON.
IT IS REALLY THE ESSENCE OF OUR
COUNTRY, WE HAVE TO PROTECT IT.
JACKIE: ELON MUSK PUT HIMSELF
OUT THERE IN A VERY REAL WAY.
NOBODY ELSE SEEMINGLY WANTING TO
TAKE THE ISSUES ON.
HE IS.
HE MAY TRIUMPH.
HE MAY FAIL.
YOU HAVE TO GIVE IT TIME TO PLAY
OUT.
YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE FACT HE WAS
WILLING TO PUT HIS HEAD ON THE
CHOPPING BLOCK THIS WAY?
>> WELL AGAIN, LIKE I MENTIONED
EARLIER, THANK GOODNESS FOR ELON
MUSK, FOR HIS ABILITY TO GET
BACK INTO TWITTER AND REALLY
REGAIN THAT PLATFORM SO THAT IT
IS A PUBLIC FORUM, THAT IS NOT
BEHOLDEN TO A GOVERNMENT
NARRATIVE.
YES HE IS TAKING A RISK.
I THINK AT THE END OF THE DAY,
REGARDLESS WHERE YOU STAND ON
THE LEFT OR RIGHT OF POLITICAL
IDEOLOGY, FREEDOM OF SPEECH IS
ABSOLUTELY AN IMPLICIT RIGHT
THAT OUR COUNTRY IS BASED ON.
WE’RE GOING TO GET THERE.
JACKIE: I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE
WOULD AGREE WITH YOU.
THEY BELIEVE IN DEFENDING THE
CONSTITUTION AND THEY SUPPORT
ELON MUSK SO WE SHALL SEE.
WE APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.
WE LOOK FORWARD TO HAVING YOU
BACK ON TO DISCUSS WHAT HAPPENED
WITH THE LETTER, THE REQUEST,
THIS IS A STORY THAT JUST IS
ONGOING ON A DAILY BASIS.