Is It an Abuse for Elon Musk to Tell Twitter Users to Vote Republican? Jean-Pierre: 'I'm Limited' (November 7, 2022)

The new owner of Twitter had just told his followers to vote Republican, and a reporter wanted to know if the White House thought that was an abuse. “But my last question would be about Elon Musk and Twitter, on a lighter note. Is it an abuse for Elon Musk, as the new Twitter CEO, to use the platform to tell users to vote for Republicans in the midterms?” the reporter asked Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre on Nov. 7, 2022, the day before the midterm elections [1].

“So, I saw that reporting. That was earlier today, right? So, you know, I — look, I’m limited to what I can say about elections from the podium,” Jean-Pierre answered, according to the official White House transcript [1].

“But, broadly speaking, I can say that every eligible American has the right to make their voices heard in this year’s election. That is their right to do,” she said [1].

The video above shows the exchange at the Nov. 7, 2022, briefing. Quotes are from the official White House transcript, the American Presidency Project, FOX 5 New York and The Associated Press [1][2][3][4][5].

Musk had posted his advice that day. “To independent-minded voters: Shared power curbs the worst excesses of both parties, therefore I recommend voting for a Republican Congress, given that the Presidency is Democratic,” Musk wrote, FOX 5 New York reported [2].

He had said in May that he would switch. “I have voted overwhelmingly for Democrats, historically – overwhelmingly. Like, I’m not sure, I might never have voted for a Republican, just to be clear. Now this election, I will,” he said at the time [2].

The endorsement came “less than a week after Musk took over Twitter,” FOX 5 reported. Among the executives Musk fired was Vijaya Gadde, the head of legal policy, trust and safety. “Gadde led the company’s push to censor the Hunter Biden laptop story first published in the New York Post prior to the 2020 election.” [2]

“Won’t the White House Commit?”

Earlier in the briefing, a reporter asked why Biden would not promise a news conference after the election. “An outside observer might conclude that he doesn’t want to have a press conference because he looks poised to lose control of one or both chambers. So why, the day before the midterms, won’t the White House commit to holding that traditional post-midterms press conference the day after the elections?” [1]

“You’ve been covering this administration for the past 20 months, right?” Jean-Pierre answered. “Yeah,” the reporter said [1].

“I have been very clear: You’re going to hear from the President. He always enjoys taking your questions,” she said. “I’m just not going to get ahead of it.” [1]

When the reporter brought up Biden’s warnings about democracy, Jean-Pierre talked about “the soul of the nation.” A reporter called out: “The question was about press access, not democracy.” [1]

“How Can You Twist Those Words?”

Three days earlier in Carlsbad, California, Biden had made a promise about coal. “No one is building new coal plants because they can’t rely on it,” he said. “We’re going to be shutting these plants down all across America and having wind and solar.” [3]

The next day, the White House put out a statement. “The President’s remarks yesterday have been twisted to suggest a meaning that was not intended; he regrets it if anyone hearing these remarks took offense,” it said [4].

Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., called Biden’s words “not only outrageous and divorced from reality, they ignore the severe economic pain the American people are feeling because of rising energy costs,” the AP reported. Manchin said the President owed coal workers “an immediate and public apology.” [5]

At the briefing, Jean-Pierre stood by the statement. “The President’s words, we believe, were twisted. And we were very clear about that,” she said. “It was — it was loud and hard to hear, I think — or maybe not exactly what — what was being said.” [1]

A reporter pushed back. “How can you twist those words? He said ‘We’re shutting those plants down.’ How do you twist those words?” Jean-Pierre moved on. “Go ahead. Go ahead. Go ahead, Phil,” she said [1].

”Should Be Drilling More”

The last question was about oil. “He said last Thursday in New Mexico that oil companies, quote, ‘should be drilling more,’ and that if they were drilling more, we would have more relief at the pump,” a reporter said. “Should they be drilling more or less for oil?” [1]

“So, again, oil companies are sitting on 9,000 — again, 9,000 unused but approved drilling permits. They’re sitting on them,” Jean-Pierre said [1].

TikTok at the White House

A reporter read a complaint from Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla.: “By giving TikTok influencers the platform of White House visits and creating content, Biden is signaling to the world he views it as safe to use an app that is beholden to Beijing.” [1]

“Wait, can you say that one more time? Because that was a lot. (Laughs.)” Jean-Pierre said. She then said she was “not going to comment on TikTok while the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, as you all know, review is ongoing.” [1]

“I’m Not Going to Get Into Speculation”

A reporter asked about the next day’s election. “Republican Leader McCarthy is clearly expecting that the GOP will take the House. Is this White House prepared to work with a Republican Congress?” [1]

“So, I’m not going to — I’m not going to get into hypoc- — hypotheticals. I’m not going to get ahead of what is — you know, what is going to happen tomorrow,” Jean-Pierre said. “But I’m not going to get into speculation from here.” [1]

Another reporter asked why Biden had not run on a specific agenda. “As far as I can tell, there’s only one bill that the President has said he would sign if Democrats controlled both houses of Congress, and that’s a bill to codify abortion rights. Why not lay out for the public what would happen if Democrats held both the House and Senate?” [1]

“So, you know, I — I hear the question that you’re asking, but I disagree in kind of the premise of the question,” Jean-Pierre said [1].

By the Numbers

1 day: until the midterm elections [1].
9,000: unused drilling permits Jean-Pierre cited [1].
$23 billion: delivered to energy communities, per the White House statement [4].
39,518: average employees at U.S. coal mines in 2021, down from 91,611 in 2011, per Energy Information Administration figures reported by the AP [5].

What Happened Next

Republicans took the House. Fox News reported on Nov. 16, 2022, that Republicans had secured a majority in the House of Representatives [6].

Biden did take questions. Two days after the briefing, Biden held a news conference. For what he said there, see HYGO News’ page on Nov. 9, 2022 and the page on his answer about House Republican probes of Hunter Biden.

For Biden’s stop in Oceanside the day before Carlsbad, see the page on Nov. 3, 2022.

”I Recommend Voting for a Republican Congress”