Nicole Shanahan, the presidential running mate of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., criticized Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg for allegedly censoring a documentary about the independent candidate. Shanahan called Zuckerberg out for acting cowardly and not allowing users on Facebook and Instagram to upload the documentary. Zuckerberg’s ongoing training in mixed martial arts was also mentioned in Shanahan’s post on X.
The documentary in question was temporarily blocked on Facebook and Instagram, with users reporting that they were unable to access it over the weekend. A spokesperson for Meta Platforms claimed that the link to the documentary was mistakenly blocked and was quickly restored once the issue was discovered. The company stated that some users flagging the documentary as spam caused the temporary block between Friday afternoon and Saturday midday.
Tony Lyons, the founder of American Values 2024, the super PAC behind the documentary, plans to file suit against Meta in federal court for violating First Amendment rights. Lyons expressed concerns that when social media companies censor a presidential candidate, the public is unable to learn about the candidate’s beliefs and policies, leaving them with propaganda and lies from powerful individuals and groups.
The 30-minute documentary narrated by actor Woody Harrelson and produced by Jay Carson, a Hollywood screenwriter and former aide to Hillary Clinton, begins with Kennedy reading negative press clippings about himself. Kennedy supporters posted screenshots of messages indicating that the link was a violation of the platforms’ terms of service, leading the Kennedy campaign to send a fundraising email urging supporters to document what they viewed as election interference.
Kennedy himself took to Facebook, calling the documentary “the Bobby Kennedy video Facebook doesn’t want you to see.” Kennedy, known for his controversial views on vaccines, poses a threat to both major party nominees Joe Biden and Donald Trump. A recent poll by The Hill showed Biden ahead of Trump by just 0.1%, but with Kennedy included, Trump is ahead by 1.1%, with Kennedy receiving 8.5% of the vote. Kennedy’s stance on vaccines has positioned him outside the Democratic Party’s mainstream.
