Controversy is brewing over Twitter’s decision to ban advertisements for a congresswoman’s campaign video, with the social media giant apparently citing her inclusion of a line about Planned Parenthood’s alleged “sale of baby body parts” as the reason.
Rep. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.), who is running for a Senate seat in Tennessee, saw Twitter deem her recently released ad “inflammatory”; her video is still online, but cannot be advertised or promoted on the platform, POLITICO reported.
The conservative revolution won't be stopped by @Twitter and the liberal elite. Donate to my Senate campaign today! https://t.co/McCubzaFQD
— Marsha Blackburn (@VoteMarsha) October 10, 2017
It was a simple proclamation in the video that reportedly led the social media giant to crack down on it: “I fought Planned Parenthood and we stopped the sale of baby body parts. Thank God.”
It’s a brief statement that came after Blackburn told voters that she’s “100 percent pro-life.”
Watch the video — including the Planned Parenthood message — below:
.@Twitter shut down our video ad, claiming it's "inflammatory" & "negative." Join me in standing up to Silicon Valley → RETWEET our message! pic.twitter.com/K3w4AMgW6i
— Marsha Blackburn (@VoteMarsha) October 9, 2017
A Twitter employee reportedly reached out to Targeted Victory, a consulting firm running the video campaign, to inform the company about the purported issues with the clip.
“It appears that the line in this video specific to ‘stopped the sale of baby body parts’ has been deemed an inflammatory statement that is likely to evoke a strong negative reaction,” a Twitter staffer reportedly wrote. “If this is omitted from the video it will be permitted to serve.”
Blackburn’s team has been using the flap to promote her Senate run, with the congresswoman taking to media on Monday night to hit back at Twitter’s decision.
In an appearance on Fox News, Blackburn said that she is astounded to see that a pro-life ad would be “censored,” seizing on the controversy to make a series of points.
“This is a pro-women, pro-baby, pro-life message. And yes indeed, as chairman of the selective investigative panel, the work that our committee delivered stopped this practice of selling baby body parts,” she said, referencing a subcommittee that explored 2015 allegations that Planned Parenthood sold fetal body parts. “It’s something that people wanted to see shut down.”
Blackburn also said she found it “amazing” that Twitter would show people “take a knee” during the national anthem, but would restrict a “pro-life, pro-woman, pro-baby message.”
Liberal elites continue to try and silence the truth. In Tennessee, we proudly stand for pro-life principles. https://t.co/3uoS3MsZ0S
— Diane Black (@votedianeblack) October 9, 2017
Debate has persisted over whether undercover videos released in 2015 showed Planned Parenthood haggling over the price of fetal body parts, though the organization has denied any wrongdoing and has not been charged with any such activity.