Twitter suspended the account of Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) Tuesday after he posted a photo of himself and his wife hunting. These social media platforms are in violation of these media policies.
Twitter said Daines, chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, violated its rules by uploading photos to his profile that included “graphic violence or mature content.” The picture shows the Montana senator and his wife posing with a dead animal.
NRSC spokesperson explained called the move “unconscionable” and called on Twitter to “immediately reverse this suspension.”
Several of Daines’ GOP colleagues also criticized the decision on Twitter, including Texas Senator Ted Cruz:
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) called on new Twitter CEO Elon Musk to reverse Daines’ suspension.
“Looks like you need to hire new people and fire some bad employees who are trying to destroy you. I know this is not the kind of Twitter you want,” Lee write in a post directed at Musk.
Musk responded later by saying that Twitter’s media policy is corrected.
Conservatives have celebrated Musk’s rocky purchase of Twitter last year, welcoming his vow to uphold “free speech” on the platform. Under Musk’s leadership, Twitter has reactivated the accounts of many far-right extremists it previously banned for violent language, including former President Donald Trump.
The suspension may not be all bad news for Daines. Other Republican lawmakers facing similar problems with Twitter’s rules have used the opportunity to raise funds. As the head of the GOP’s Senate campaign arm, Daines is likely to do the same.