Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., is calling for a thorough investigation by the House Judiciary Committee into potential misconduct by Elon Musk’s social media platform X (formerly Twitter) concerning its handling of the official presidential campaign account for Vice President Kamala Harris. This request for inquiry arises from reports indicating that users encountered difficulties when attempting to follow the “@KamalaHQ” account on Sunday, subsequent to President Joe Biden’s announcement that he would step down and endorse Harris for the 2024 presidential election.

Investigation Request and Allegations

Nadler, who holds the position of ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, addressed a formal letter to the committee's chairman, Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, on Monday morning. This letter, which was exclusively obtained by NBC News, expresses significant concerns regarding potential censorship of Harris’s campaign account. Nadler reported that “numerous users” experienced issues when trying to follow the “@KamalaHQ” account, which was repurposed from Biden’s campaign following his endorsement of Harris.

The letter from Nadler underscores the critical nature of allowing Vice President Harris to communicate her presidential candidacy to the public without impediment. Nadler emphasized that “Regardless of political ideology, Americans have a protected interest in receiving Vice President Harris’ communications regarding her candidacy.” He further asserted, “Vice President Harris, in turn, has a right to communicate with the American people as she runs for the highest office in the country.”

Nadler criticized the situation as a possible instance of political censorship, contrasting it with what he described as “countless conspiracy theories of political censorship” that Republicans have investigated over the past year. He argued that if House Republicans are to maintain any remaining credibility, they should address this issue decisively, considering it a genuine attempt to obstruct the Vice President’s campaign communication. In a follow-up statement to reporters, Nadler declared, “If House Republicans have even a shred of credibility left, they will call out this blatant attempt to limit the Vice President’s voice and investigate immediately.”

Details of the Censorship Allegations

Included in Nadler’s letter were screenshots from X accounts showing error messages such as “Limit reached” and “You are unable to follow more people at this time” when users attempted to follow the “Kamala HQ” account. NBC News verified that at least 13 X accounts encountered similar issues, receiving the “Limit reached” error message, in addition to the three accounts identified in Nadler’s letter to Jordan.

Nadler suggested that these issues may indicate that X is intentionally throttling or blocking Vice President Harris’s ability to connect with potential voters. He asserted that if these allegations are true, it would represent “egregious censorship based on political and viewpoint discrimination,” an issue that the Judiciary Committee has previously addressed with serious consideration.

X has not yet responded to requests for comment on these allegations.

Context of Account Activity

Typically, X accounts that follow a large number of accounts in a short period receive the “Limit reached” error message. Following Biden’s endorsement of Harris, the “Kamala HQ” account, which transitioned from Biden’s campaign, experienced a substantial increase in followers. The account grew from fewer than 500,000 followers on Sunday to over 1 million by Tuesday.

In his letter, Nadler requested that Jordan join him in seeking detailed information from X regarding the issues users faced with following the “Kamala HQ” account. Nadler’s specific inquiries included:

- The reasons behind the blockage of certain accounts from following the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee.

- The total number of users who attempted to follow the account and were unable to do so from July 21 to the present.

- The actions taken by X in response to these issues and the timeline of those actions.

- Whether Elon Musk or any X employees directed any actions to throttle or limit user access to the account.

Elon Musk and Political Context

Elon Musk, who acquired and rebranded Twitter as X in 2022, publicly endorsed Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump on July 13, following an assassination attempt against him. Musk has also committed $45 million monthly to a pro-Trump super PAC, underscoring his significant involvement in Republican political activities.

House Republicans, led by Jordan, have conducted investigations into what they term the “Censorship Industrial Complex,” alleging a coordinated effort by government, academia, and Big Tech to suppress conservative voices. These investigations have included extensive information requests and subpoenas directed at researchers, tech industry professionals, and government officials.

The Committee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government, chaired by Jordan since January 2023, has held three hearings primarily addressing conservative claims of censorship by entities like X. During a May hearing, Jordan questioned whether the Biden administration had plans to influence events in the months leading up to the election.

These efforts faced a notable setback last month when the U.S. Supreme Court rejected a claim alleging that the Biden administration had coerced social media companies into removing misinformation.

Nadler’s Appeal and Public Accountability

In his letter, Nadler appealed to Jordan to apply the same scrutiny to potential suppression affecting Democrats as he has to allegations of conservative censorship. Nadler urged Jordan to show “the same outrage and pertinacity against platform censorship of the Democratic party as you do when conservative speech is allegedly suppressed.”

As the investigation progresses, the implications for online censorship, platform accountability, and the broader political landscape will be closely monitored. The outcome of this inquiry could have significant repercussions for the regulation of social media platforms and their role in political communication and campaigning.