The Biden-Harris administration is refusing to publicly condemn the European Union for threatening free speech in the U.S. over interviews with President Donald Trump and Elon Musk on social media platforms, according to Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee.
According to a letter from Jordan to Secretary of State Antony Blinken published exclusively by Breitbart News, the State Department told lawmakers that it has no intention of publicly opposing European Union Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton's threats of censorship against US social media companies.
Jordan's letter also revealed that the State Department is in possession of communications relating to Breton's threats against Elon Musk's X Platform but has not yet turned them over to the Judiciary Committee.
Hours before Musk, Tesla CEO and former President Donald Trump, was interviewed by X-Space on August 12, Breton, who served as the EU's censorship chief until this week, warned Musk in an open letter that he would use all powers granted to him under the European Digital Services Act (DSA), including potentially heavy fines and even a ban within the EU.
Breton insisted that the live interview with the Republican presidential candidate does not violate Brussels' speech regulations, including the spread of “content that may incite violence, hatred or racism.” The French politician also called on Musk to implement “mitigation measures” to prevent “the amplification of harmful content” that “may have a detrimental impact on civil debate and public safety” in Europe.
The interference and calls for censorship of U.S. tech companies and presidential candidates prompted accusations that the EU was directly interfering in the U.S. electoral process. But no such warnings came from the Biden-Harris administration. Jordan wrote that the State Department told the committee that it “has never publicly condemned, and does not intend to do so in the future, Mr. Breton's threats.”
“The Biden-Harris Administration's silence in response to Breton's threats to free speech in the United States has demonstrated to the world that the Administration does not support free speech online and is unwilling to protect American companies from foreign powers that seek to punish American companies for adhering to First Amendment principles at home,” Jordan wrote.
“Furthermore, the Biden-Harris Administration's failure to respond to foreign threats of regulatory retaliation sends a clear message that foreign powers can attack American speech from abroad with no retaliation,” he warned.
The chairman of the House of Commons justice committee said that although Breton stepped down from his post on the EU committee this week, “the threat to the fundamental value of freedom of speech remains”.
Under the EU's Digital Services Act (DSA), the EU has the power to impose fines of up to 6% of global turnover on major internet companies, including those based inside or outside of Europe, if they fail to comply with EU speech regulations. This draconian law also provides a mechanism to ban platforms from operating in the EU altogether, potentially giving European officials a powerful tool to influence and pressure US citizens and companies.
Jordan said the executive branch had received “assurances” from the European Commission that Breton had made public threats against Musk alone, but that “this is insufficient because, as State Department officials acknowledged, Breton had significant powers to act alone as commissioner for the internal market.”
“Furthermore, the EC has not issued any public statements denying Mr. Breton's threats, nor has it provided any 'assurances' to US companies to counter the chilling effect of the letter,” the chairman continued in his letter to Secretary Blinken.
Not only has the Biden-Harris administration refused to publicly condemn the US threats of censorship against social media platforms, it acknowledged to the House Judiciary Committee that, while there are no official cables or memoranda, the State Department has documents related to Breton's threats and could turn them over “without significant difficulty.”
The revelations come amid oversight by the Select Subcommittee on Weaponization of the Federal Government, which is investigating how and to what extent Democratic administrations have “coerced or conspired with corporations and other intermediaries” to censor lawful speech in the United States.
The committee chair asked the State Department to turn over, by October 1, 2024, “all documents and communications between State Department officials that refer to or relate to the letter that Mr. Breton sent to Mr. Musk on August 12, 2024.” Jordan also requested access to all documents and communications between the State Department and other persons, including officials, employees and representatives of the Executive Branch and the EU, regarding Mr. Breton's letter.
Finally, the State Department was asked to turn over documents and staff communications “that refer to or relate to similar threats against American companies by Mr. Breton or other EU officials.”
