On Tuesday, Breitbart’s Joel B. Pollak tweeted that he’d been ejected from a speaking event by Robert Francis “Beto” O’Rourke at historically black Benedict College.
No justification for @BetoORourke booting @BreitbartNews' @joelpollak out of his campaign event today. Outrageous and an actual example of someone stifling freedom of the press and the 1st amendment. https://t.co/LEcSbmphvG
— Andrew Surabian (@Surabees) August 27, 2019
Beto’s quest for meaning outside of being a well kept overgrown child by his heiress wife’s family continues to highlight his dismal failures.
— JamieRJN (@JamieRJN) August 27, 2019
But Trump is the one attacking the free press, rrright.
— Jonathan Wiskee (@JonathanWiskee) August 27, 2019
“If we don’t have a free press, if we cannot make informed decisions…if we can’t hold people like me accountable, and make sure that we’re held honest to the promises that we made…we’ll lose the essence of our democracy.” – Robert O'Rourke@BetoORourke lies.
— C. Swickster ?? (@cdswick) August 27, 2019
Looks to be a normal classroom size. Beto must be desperate.
— DB (@DRBerry102) August 27, 2019
Im waiting patiently to hear the full story on this one. But if @BetoORourke staff is really ejecting “reporters” for viewpoint bias I hope Beto corrects them immediately.
— Koptroversy (@KopLaw4) August 27, 2019
O’Rourke must have had a good reason — scratch that, he had a very stupid reason.
Beto O’Rourke Campaign Claims Breitbart Reporter Ejected to Protect Black Students https://t.co/R03WxHufuj via @BreitbartNews
— Joel B. Pollak (@joelpollak) August 28, 2019
In a statement Wednesday, O’Rourke’s press secretary, Aleigha Cavalier, attempted to defend against the growing controversy stemming from Pollak’s removal, claiming that while the candidate “believes in the right to a free press,” Breitbart News “walks the line between being news and a perpetrator of hate speech.”
“Given this particular Breitbart employee’s previous hateful reporting and the sensitivity of the topics being discussed with students at an HBCU, a campaign staffer made the call to ask him to leave to ensure that the students attending the event felt comfortable and safe while sharing their experiences as young people of color,” the statement added.
So Pollak being in the room would have made young people of color feel uncomfortable and unsafe sharing their experiences.
What? Just how young are these people of color? They’re college students, right?
Wow. RF & staff are crazy.
— TrumpNolaMom. ❤??❤ (@pedsscrub) August 28, 2019
Black students should HATE this, its the most real racist thing I've heard in a while. #realracism
— TheKipper (@MeechonMeech) August 28, 2019
That’s pretty racist , he needs to shield them from you because they can’t take care of themselves ? Because you are threat to them ? Or because?
— CreactivaTM (@rafaeldavidgut) August 28, 2019
What a little sh*t that guy is. A real disgrace that such a lightweight is allowed to run for POTUS.
— Rob Jones (@robnemesis007) August 28, 2019
Biggest asshole in a field of assholes.
— Robert Klein (@rekinva) August 28, 2019
Turns out this won’t be happening again … maybe?
Amid criticism, O'Rourke campaign says it won't ban Breitbart from future events – CNN https://t.co/AfDhp5c6nH
— Joel B. Pollak (@joelpollak) August 28, 2019
For what it’s worth, The New York Times Matthew Rosenberg stood up for Pollak, and this is thanks he got.
No matter what you think of Breitbart, this is wrong. No campaign should be deciding who gets to cover its events. An event is either open to the press, or it is not. Freedom of the press is not a conditional right — it applies to every American regardless of their views. https://t.co/BHFxslRxjL
— Matthew Rosenberg (@AllMattNYT) August 28, 2019
Imagine caping for a white nationalist propaganda machine
— Dylan (@dyllyp) August 28, 2019
I’d prefer not to. But this isn’t about what they say, it’s about their right to say it. Thankfully, we live in a country where the latter is not conditional on the former.
— Matthew Rosenberg (@AllMattNYT) August 28, 2019
“I’d prefer not to defend Neo-Nazis, but I’m going to anyway” is a very melanin-free stance
— Dylan (@dyllyp) August 28, 2019
Really? You think neo-Nazis have much use for someone with such an obviously Jewish last name?
— Matthew Rosenberg (@AllMattNYT) August 28, 2019
Lol that makes it even worse that you’re going to bat for them. And Benedict College is a historically black private institution. They’re not obligated to let white nationalists into their events. This isn’t a freedom of speech issue, it’s a non-issue.
— Dylan (@dyllyp) August 28, 2019
This isn’t about Benedict College. It’s about a presidential campaign.
— Matthew Rosenberg (@AllMattNYT) August 28, 2019
Matt. I don’t know you. I don’t know journalistic circles. I assume you’re proud of your profession. I want you to think really hard about the paradox of tolerance of intolerance.
The majority of Breitbart readers, writers, and funders likely would support your ethnic cleansing.
— AndrewThoesen (@AndrewThoesen) August 28, 2019
Should The Daily Stormer be given access to events?
— Lincoln Michel (@TheLincoln) August 28, 2019
The KKK Probably puts out a monthly Newsletter. They have a right to. But it AIN'T journalism.
I would have expected the NY Times to understand that.
— Karl W. Lewis (@TheKarlWLewis) August 28, 2019
Breitbart is a Nazi newsletter. This is a terrible take.
— warren / rock 2020 (@mikeyfranklin) August 28, 2019
2019, when everyone you disagree with is a Nazi.
Related:
Beto O’Rourke repeats the ‘very fine people’ lie (and more) in his tough-talking message to President Trump https://t.co/L9vlas794T
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) August 14, 2019
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