Democrat presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Thursday that Instagram suspended his campaign page.
“Interesting… when we use our TeamKennedy email address to set up @instagram accounts we get an automatic 180-day ban. Can anyone guess why that’s happening?’ RFK Jr. said.
He noted that Twitter allows his campaign to have a voice.
Twitter allows my campaign and me to have a voice. Thank you @elonmusk.
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) June 2, 2023
“@instagram still hasn’t reinstated my account, which was banned years ago with more than 900k followers,” he added.
To silence a major political candidate is profoundly undemocratic. Social media is the modern equivalent of the town square. How can democracy function if only some candidates have access to it?
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) June 2, 2023
Instagram bans Dem presidential candidate RFK Jr from creating new campaign accountshttps://t.co/dQ5XqVljSa
— The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) June 2, 2023
The Post Millennial reports:
In February 2021, AP News reported that Instagram banned Kennedy Jr for “repeatedly posting misinformation about vaccine safety and COVID-19.” A spokesperson for Facebook, which owns Instagram, said, “We removed this account for repeatedly sharing debunked claims about the coronavirus or vaccines.”
Last month Elon Musk expressed his disappointment with the DNC for not holding primary debates. Fox News reported that Musk said, “We will do our best to support candidates from all parties, so that the public may make the most informed choice. Far too much backroom dealing seems to be happening.” In May, Republican Presidential Candidate and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced his candidacy in a Twitter Space.
The Twitter Space with Ron DeSantis was a disaster.
It appears Elon Musk is prepared to give the Twitter Space another shot.
Musk offered the Democrat presidential candidate the opportunity to do a Twitter Space conversation.
“Would you like to do a Spaces discussion with me next week?” Musk asked.
“Yes! How’s Monday at 2 p.m. ET?” RFK. Jr replied.
Yes! How's Monday at 2 p.m. ET?
— Robert F. Kennedy Jr (@RobertKennedyJr) June 2, 2023
“This would be great,” former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey commented.
This would be great
— jack (@jack) June 2, 2023
Mediaite reported:
Kennedy announced his bid for president in April, but it has been generously referred to as a “long shot.” The legacy Democrat, who has been outspoken against vaccines (before and during the COVID pandemic). His posting of COVID misinformation resulted in his personal Instagram account being suspended back in 2021, but it’s unclear why his campaign’s account was suspended. (His official campaign site no longer has an Instagram account featured on it, but it does have Facebook and Twitter links.) This single issue puts him more in line with many on the right, like Republican nominee Florida Governor Ron DeSantis (R) who has regularly spoken out against the vaccines. RFK Jr. is following DeSantis in accepting a spot on Twitter Spaces, where DeSantis made his presidential announcement.
DeSantis’s Twitter Spaces audio-only announcement was deemed a disaster for the Republican candidate. Before it even began, technical glitches marred the announcement before it was ultimately scrapped and switched to David Sacks’s account. To say it was a bumpy start would be an understatement — but it certainly made headlines.
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