Free speech for me dude suspends White Dudes.
'White Dudes for Harris' X Suspension Sparks Fury: 'Election Interference' - Newsweek
Published Jul 30, 2024 at 4:57 AM EDTUpdated Jul 30, 2024 at 10:47 AM EDT
Asocial-media account for white male supporters of Kamala Harris was briefly suspended from X, formerly Twitter, sparking anger online.
Newsweek observed that the White Dudes for Harris X account had been temporarily suspended after the group held a star-studded virtual call on Monday night that raised more than $4 million.
It is not clear why the account was suspended, but it appeared to have been restored as of the early hours of Tuesday. The automated message when the account was suspended read: "X suspends accounts which violate the X rules."
Mike Nellis, who is involved in the organization, shared an update on Tuesday explaining that while the X account is live again, it still remains suspended.
He said the account is "permanently in read-only mode," meaning it cannot post or interact with content and cannot create new accounts. Nellis called on supporters to continue donating to Harris' campaign, writing: "Don't let them silence us."
When contacted by Newsweek for comment, X's press office responded: "Busy now, please check back later."
A screenshot taken by Newsweek. It shows that the 'White Dudes for Harris' account on X was briefly suspended.
In response to the suspension, Ross Morales Rocketto, an organizer for the group, wrote, "Got @elonmusk [X owner] scared."
Brett Meiselas, the co-founder of outlet MeidasTouch, shared on X a photo of the suspended account, along with the message: "This is the real election interference."
Democratic commentator Mueller, She Wrote said: "The 'free speech absolutist' has now suspended White @dudes4harris. Presumably for raising $4M in a few hours. The fascists are terrified. Good."
Elon Musk, who is openly critical of Democrats, regularly advocates for free speech on the platform. Several other X accounts expressed anger particularly at Musk, with Democratic activist Andrew Wortman calling for him to be fired.
Another Democratic commentator said that the platform had also previously been glitchy for Democrats at critical moments, such as the day Joe Biden launched his 2024 presidential bid and when Harris's campaign account launched.
Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris speaks to supporters during a campaign rally on July 23, 2024 in West Allis, Wisconsin. A social-media account for white male supporters of the U.S. vice president was briefly suspended... More Jim Vondruska/Getty Images
White Dudes for Harris on Monday held a Zoom call fundraiser featuring celebrities including actors Jeff Bridges, Mark Ruffalo and Joseph Gordon-Levitt.
It also included appearances from Democratic politicians, including Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker. The group said that 190,000 people tuned in to the call. The West Wing actor Bradley Whitford joked on the call that it was like "a rainbow of beige."
It was the latest fundraiser call for the Harris campaign among various identity groups, following the success of calls with groups including Black women, white women, and Black men.
The fundraising calls are not organized by Harris' team, but they demonstrate the growing grassroots support for her since she became the likely nominee.
In recent years, Republicans have generally relied on the support of white working-class men, while Democrats have struggled to attract this demographic.
Morales Rocketto, White Dudes for Harris's organizer, told The New York Times that he understood that some people might be uncomfortable with their name.
"I don't blame them," he told the paper. "Throughout American history, there's a lot of evidence to suggest that, when white men organize, it's often with pointy hats on, and it doesn't end well.
"What we are really trying to do is engage a group of people that the left has largely ignored for the last few years," Morales Rocketto said. "There's a silent majority of white men who aren't MAGA Republicans, and we haven't done anything to try to capture those votes."
Update 7/30/24, 8:36 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information. |
