Twitter has unlocked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s campaign account two days after it was penalized for posting a video of activists making threats against the Kentucky Republican at his home.
The communications team for the social media giant made the announcement on Thursday after the senator’s team made multiple appeals.
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“Several Twitter users, including U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s campaign account, were temporarily locked out of their accounts for Tweeting a video that violated our abusive behavior policy. The video contained a violent threat directed at Leader McConnell, a clear violation of the Twitter Rules,” Twitter’s communications team said.
The video contained a violent threat directed at Leader McConnell, a clear violation of the Twitter Rules.https://t.co/lQ8wWGtrGs
— Twitter Comms (@TwitterComms) August 9, 2019
“After multiple appeals from affected users and Leader McConnell’s team confirming their intent to highlight the threats for public discussion, we have reviewed this case more closely,” they added. “Going forward, the video will be visible on the service with a sensitive media interstitial and only in cases where the Tweet content does not otherwise violate the Twitter Rules.”
Going forward, the video will be visible on the service with a sensitive media interstitial and only in cases where the Tweet content does not otherwise violate the Twitter Rules. https://t.co/Cuvh305ERA
— Twitter Comms (@TwitterComms) August 9, 2019
McConnell’s campaign account, Team Mitch, celebrated being unlocked with a funny meme and a link to a fundraising page. “Victory!!! Thank you to EVERYONE for helping #FreeMitch,” the account said.
Victory!!!
Thank you to EVERYONE for helping #FreeMitch.
Help us keep winning: https://t.co/u56exRnfKv pic.twitter.com/7Y28QdkrKv
— Team Mitch (@Team_Mitch) August 9, 2019
The account was locked on Wednesday and Twitter told McConnell’s team that it would remain so until the video of the protesters was deleted.
Black Lives Matter Louisville leader Chanelle Helm was captured on video Monday, saying, “just stab the motherf—er in the heart,” referring to a McConnell voodoo doll. The video of the comment went viral and was posted by many on Twitter, including McConnell’s campaign. Twitter also locked other accounts that posted the video.
McConnell campaign manager Kevin Golden complained about how Twitter allowed “Massacre Mitch” to trend nationally on their platform, but locked their account for posting “actual threats against us.”
Rallying to support McConnell, Republican groups and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz pledged to boycott buying Twitter until the senator’s campaign account was unlocked.
In a statement Friday afternoon, Golden said, “We are glad Twitter has reversed their decision to lock our Team Mitch account. It is still deeply concerning that Twitter would ban us from posting a video of threats made against us but allow Liberal Hollywood celebrities to post exactly what we did without suffering the same penalty.”
He added, “It shouldn’t have taken an avalanche of outrage across the country to stop Silicon Valley from launching an effort to silence conservatives like the Majority Leader of the United States Senate in the first place. We look forward to learning more about what steps Twitter will take to ensure that this egregious suppression campaign never happens again.”
