Biden White House Pressed Facebook to Censor Tucker Carlson

Jeff Landry, Louisiana Attorney General, said that a top White House employee sent an email to Facebook flagging a Fox News Tucker Carlson posting about the low effectiveness of the COVID-19 virus vaccine. The post was then tried to get censorship from the company.

Rob Flaherty was the White House’s director, Digital Strategy. In the email, he asked the social media giant if they were actually trying to reduce the reach for those who claim that the COVID-19 vaccine is not working as claimed. He pointed out a Fox News contributor Tomi Lernen’s previous post about the same subject. 

“Since we’ve been on the phone — the top post about vaccines today is [T]ucker Carlson saying they don’t work. Yesterday was Tomi Lehren saying she won’t take one,” Flaherty wrote. “This is exactly why I want to know what “Reduce” actually looks like — if “Reduce” means ‘pumping our most vaccine hesitant audience with [T]ucker Carlson saying it doesn’t work’ then…I’m not sure it’s reduction!” 

“Thanks—I saw the same thing when we hung up. Running this down now,” The Facebook person replied.

Rob Flaherty urges Facebook to censor @tuckercarlson pic.twitter.com/mxUT2C8nna

— AG Jeff Landry (@AGJeffLandry) January 6, 2023

“Later, Facebook informed the White House that Tucker Carlson’s video did not qualify for removal; but the video was labeled with a pointer to ‘authoritative’ (White House approved) information, the video was not ‘recommended’ to others, and it was demoted on Facebook,” Landry Detailed explanation. “The White House then demanded to know why the Tucker Carlson video did not violate Facebook policy and was not removed. A follow-up email by the White House condescendingly reiterates that their demand for answers was not rhetorical.”

Landry stated that when Facebook didn’t respond to emails, the White House incited the riot at Capitol Building on January 6, 2021.

“Not for nothing but the last time we did this dance, it ended in an insurrection,” The email stated that.

Facebook eventually gave in to the White House’s demands. They deducted 50 percent of their staff and placed them under a 7-day fact check period. However, no fact checking ever took place.