By DAMIEN FISHER, InDepthNH.org
As the outcast Libertarian Party of New Hampshire continued its sad quest for attention by calling for the death of House Minority Leader Alexis Simpson (D-Exeter,) Republican Gov. Kelly Ayotte said she wants the Jeremy Kauffman-led crew banned from Twitter/X.
“Violent rhetoric is completely unacceptable and has no place in our civil discourse. These posts plainly violate X’s own rules on violent content, and I’m calling on X to remove them and suspend the account immediately,” she wrote to Michael O’Herlihy, the social media giant’s Head of Safety.
Attorney General John Formella’s spokesman said: “The New Hampshire Department of Justice is aware of these and previous posts and we understand the concerns that have been expressed. We are taking a close look at the posts and the applicable law to determine what, if any, action may be appropriate. While we cannot comment on what specific action, we may or may not take, we will as always work to take whatever steps are legally appropriate to enforce the law and to protect the safety of public officials and members of the public.”
Simpson denounced the LPNH’s Tuesday social media post that supports mass killing of all Democrats, and demanded they be removed from Twitter. The team at the LPNH responded by advocating for Simpson’s death, garnering them more attention. Ayotte’s letter makes it clear that the LPNH account is in violation of the Twitter/X policies.
“This account has openly called for the assassination of elected officials from the New Hampshire Democratic Party, has said it condones murdering elected officials for their policy positions, and most recently threatened a member of House leadership,” Ayotte wrote. “X’s Violent Content Policy explicitly prohibits threats to inflict physical harm on others, including threats to kill or seriously injure individuals. The policy also prohibits inciting violence and expressing a desire for others to experience physical harm. Threats directed at elected officials in New Hampshire violate these standards, and X’s enforcement guidelines provide for the removal of such content and potential suspension of accounts responsible for serious violations.”
It’s not entirely clear Ayotte’s letter will have much of an impact. Billionaire Twitter owner Elon Musk renamed the site X after he bought it and fired most of the safety team. Musk also rehabilitated the accounts for hundreds of white supremacists who had previously been banned under the old ownership team. Musk now spends time supporting white supremacist propaganda on his website while also supposedly working as a tech CEO.