By Lisa Mascaro and Ali Swenson | Associated Press
WASHINGTON — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. defended himself Thursday at a House hearing on government censorship against accusations of trafficking in racist and hateful online conspiracy theories, despite calls from outside groups to disinvite him following recent antisemitic remarks. The Republican-led Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government is supporting GOP claims that conservatives and others are unfairly targeted by technology companies in combating online disinformation. Democrats argue that free speech carries the responsibility of not spreading misinformation, especially when it incites violence.
In his opening remarks, Kennedy referenced his family’s legacy while denouncing allegations of racism and antisemitism against him.
“This is an attempt to censor a censorship hearing,” said Kennedy, the son of Robert F. Kennedy and the nephew of President John F. Kennedy.
Kennedy passionately defended his social media posts, which cover topics such as race and vaccine safety, asserting that they are neither racist nor antisemitic. He emphasized his family’s longstanding belief in the First Amendment right to free speech.
“The First Amendment was not written for easy speech,” Kennedy stated. “It was written for the speech that nobody likes you for.”
Republicans are keen on elevating Kennedy after his announcement in April to run as a Democratic primary candidate against President Joe Biden. Kennedy’s presidential campaign chairman, Dennis Kucinich, a former congressman and presidential contender, sat in the front row behind him during the more than three-hour hearing.
Big Tech companies have vehemently denied GOP claims and maintain that they enforce their rules impartially for all, regardless of ideology or political affiliation. Additionally, researchers have not found extensive evidence of social media companies exhibiting bias against conservative news, posts, or materials.
Del. Stacey Plaskett of the Virgin Islands, the top Democrat on the House panel, criticized the Republican majority for providing a platform to Kennedy and others to propagate conspiracy theories and hatred.
“This is not the kind of free speech I know,” Plaskett commented.
Plaskett cautioned against the spread of misinformation from Russia and other adversaries, who have interfered in American elections in the past and are expected to do so again in 2024.
The hearing became emotional and heated, particularly when subcommittee chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, presented what he claimed were examples of censorship, including a White House request for Twitter to remove a race-based post from Kennedy about COVID-19 vaccines.
“It’s why Mr. Kennedy is running for president — to help us expose and stop what’s going on,” Jordan asserted.
An organization founded by Kennedy, Children’s Health Defense, currently has a lawsuit pending against several news organizations, such as The Associated Press, accusing them of violating antitrust laws by taking action against misinformation regarding COVID-19 and its vaccines.
Prior to the hearing, Jordan announced that although he disagreed with Kennedy’s remarks, he would not remove him from the panel. Speaker Kevin McCarthy expressed a similar sentiment, stating that he did not want to censor Kennedy.
The panel aims to investigate how the federal government collaborates with technology companies to identify and flag false information. The discussion is situated within the context of Section 230, a part of federal communications law that provides tech companies like Twitter and Facebook with immunity from liability for content on their platforms.
Witnesses called upon by the Democrats included journalist Emma-Jo Morris from Breitbart News, who extensively reported on Hunter Biden, the son of President Joe Biden, and D. John Sauer, a former Solicitor General in Missouri who currently serves as a special Assistant Attorney General at the Louisiana Department of Justice involved in a lawsuit against the Biden administration.
Morris shared part of her opening remarks on Twitter, in which she described an “elaborate censorship conspiracy” aimed at impeding her reporting on Hunter Biden.
Maya Wiley, the president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, called on lawmakers to consider the platforms where Americans share their views, emphasizing the importance of basing those views on facts rather than fiction.
The U.S. has been hesitant to regulate social media giants, despite warnings from external organizations regarding the rise of hate speech and misinformation, which can erode civil society.
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