DeSantis: If Apple Bans Twitter, Congress Must Respond to ‘Raw Exercise of Monopolistic Power’

JACKSONVILLE (FLV) – Gov. Ron DeSantis flamed Apple for reportedly threatening to remove Twitter from the App Store, saying the ban would warrant a response from Congress.

The governor praised Twitter owner Elon Musk for releasing accounts that were “unfairly and illegitimately” suspended for putting out COVID information.

“These experts were wrong and you had people on Twitter that were calling that out and Twitter, the old regime and Twitter, their response was to try to just suffocate the dissent and Elon Musk knows that’s not a winning formula,” DeSantis said.

Musk announced Monday that Apple “threatened” to withhold Twitter from the App Store without providing a reason as to why.

“He’s providing free speech and so if Apple responds to that by nuking them from the App Store, you know, I think that would be a huge, huge mistake,” DeSantis said in response.

The governor believes U.S. Congress should step in if Apple goes through with its threat.

“Don’t be a vassal of the CCP on one hand and then use your corporate power in the United States on the other to suffocate Americans and try to suppress their rights to express themselves,” DeSantis said.

Protests in China erupted over the CCP’S “zero Covid” policy, which includes strict lockdowns and mass testing. Right out of the gate at DeSantis’ Monday press conference, the governor condemned the “draconian” policy.

“It violates people’s liberties and it is completely unscientific. And the people of China are right to be able to speak out and protest against what the Chinese Communist Party is doing,” he said.

“This CCP has a maniacal desire to exert total control over its population. Zero Covid is really just the pretext for them to do what they want to do anyways.”