Sen. Rand Paul on Thursday accused YouTube of censoring his speech from the Senate floor last week about the impeachment trial — a speech in which he mentioned a name some believe to be the whistleblower who ignited the investigation into President Trump.
Mr. Paul called it “chilling and disturbing” for the media giant to pull down his video.
He pointed out that while he mentioned names and connections, he never identified anyone as being the whistleblower. He said he doesn’t actually know the whistleblower’s name.
“Now, even protected speech, such as that of a senator on the Senate floor, can be blocked from getting to the American people. This is dangerous and politically biased,” he said.
“Apparently, YouTube has taken it upon itself to decide what questions can even be asked in the public debate, including on the Senate floor,” the Kentucky Republican added.
YouTube defended its move, saying that’s its policy.
“Videos, comments, and other forms of content that mention the leaked whistleblower’s name violate YouTube’s Community Guidelines and will be removed from YouTube,” said Ivy Choi, a spokesperson. “We enforce our policies consistently without regard to political leaning and have removed hundreds of videos and over ten thousand comments that contained the name.”
The spokesperson did not say how YouTube knew the name of the whistleblower.
WV gov gives update on wounded guardsman, talks future of DC mission as general says troops are grieving
Trump MRI results drop as White House confronts mounting questions over president’s health
Melania Trump debuts ‘Home Is Where The Heart Is’ as White House 2025 Christmas theme
Indiana GOP unveils draft of congressional map that carves up Indianapolis
Muslim Father and Sons Charged with Brutally Murdering Daughter for Her ‘Western’ Lifestyle
Playing God: Bill Gates Pushes Use of Sun-Dimming Technology at ‘Climate Tipping Point’
Appeals court finds Alina Habba unlawfully served as New Jersey prosecutor
NFL Coaching Legend Blasts Massive Issue He Saw While Watching Thanksgiving Games
Trump hit with setback as court rules Alina Habba unlawfully served as top federal prosecutor in New Jersey
Trump Admin Negotiators Make High-Stakes Visit to Russia After ‘Successful’ Ukraine Meeting
Reporter’s Notebook: Tennessee special election eyed as Trump referendum ahead of midterms
Trump invites families of two National Guard members shot in DC to White House, plans to honor soldiers
Trump offers to release his October MRI results, insists scan wasn’t of his brain
Foreign terror labels curb ISIS, but US radicals face fewer limits online, study finds
War Sec Pete Hegseth shares meme of children’s book character firing on narco terrorist drug boat
That has been one of the thornier issues in the debate. No official source has confirmed the name, so organizations such as YouTube are generally operating off of a belief — effectively lending more credence to the notion that the whistleblower is the person whose name appears in the video.
YouTube isn’t the only one to refuse to accommodate Mr. Paul in his determination to use the name.
Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr., who presided over the impeachment trial of President Trump in the Senate, refused to read a question Mr. Paul wanted to ask. He apparently thought the question trod too closely to the identity of the whistleblower.
Mr. Paul did get his say later, during time allotted for senators to speak, when he read out the question he’d wanted to ask had he been allowed by the chief justice.
The whistleblower’s complaint last summer launched the impeachment of Mr. Trump.
Articles containing the accusation are part of the Congressional Record, and Mr. Paul’s speech is also still part of that permanent record.
Story cited here.
