Former Vice President Mike Pence voiced serious concerns over the Biden administration’s response to Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter as the billionaire CEO promises to fight for free speech.
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said during a briefing Monday that the administration is "keeping a close eye" on Twitter, a comment the former VP called "deeply offensive."
"The foundation of America is freedom. The freedom of speech, free and independent press, is a bulwark of why this nation is extraordinary and exceptional," Pence said on "Outnumbered" Wednesday.
"The suggestion that the president of the United States is keeping a close eye on any element of the media is deeply offensive to me."
Pence suggested that the Biden administration may be watching Twitter because of Elon Musk’s recent vow to release the "Twitter Files," which will reportedly contain information on the platform’s censorship of the Hunter Biden laptop story ahead of the 2020 presidential election.
Musk tweeted Monday that he is fighting for the future of civilization and warned that only tyranny exists if freedom of speech is lost.
"I think Elon Musk is exactly right," Pence said. "We ought to air on the side of freedom and freedom of speech."
Panelist Martha MacCallum, host of "The Story with Martha MacCallum," praised Musk for his dedication to his pursuits like space exploration and electric vehicles. She said his dedication likely means he won’t back down from his fight for free speech.
"I think it strikes fear in the hearts of a lot of people in Washington and in some of the media that he's going to allow light to be shown into this," MacCallum said.
She then warned Americans to be cautious of an administration "keeping an eye" on a social media platform where news is often disseminated.
"Fox & Friends" co-host Ainsley Earhardt added that Musk bought the platform because he wants to maintain a free forum that can act as a town square for Americans to voice their opinions.
Earhardt argued the loss of free speech is a slippery slope that could result in the suppression of the public’s voices, as seen in countries like China or Iran where citizens face punishment for speaking out.
"We’re seeing that happening little by little in our country," she said.
"I don't know why everyone's so upset with Elon Musk and why they want him to not buy Twitter and they're scared of what he's going to do. He just wants free speech. This is not a revolution."
Pence added that he worked closely with Musk during the Trump administration and said he’s worried about conservative voices as a whole being suppressed on social media, not just Twitter.
"Elon Musk’s politics are different than mine," he said. "But he has a bias for freedom, a bias for American innovation. I know he's going to bring that to Twitter."
