US House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) talks to reporters as he arrives for the first day of the new Congress at the US Capitol in Washington, January 3, 2023.
Evelyn Hockstein Reuters
Twitter CEO Elon Musk discussed how to make the social media site “fair to all parties” in a meeting with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., the lawmaker told reporters on Friday.
“They want to have a level playing field” and let everyone have a voice, McCarthy said of the meeting in comments reported by NBC News. “He really defended the First Amendment. And we had a really good discussion.”
Musk shared on Twitter Thursday afternoon he had met with McCarthy and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, DN.Y., “to discuss making sure this platform is fair for both.” On Thursday, it was just McCarthy together that Musk came to thank him.
On Friday, McCarthy also confirmed that Jeffries was at Thursday’s meeting and that he had not met Musk.
Jeffries’ assistant told The Washington Post that the meeting with Musk was purely coincidental and happened as Musk was leaving a meeting with McCarthy. Jeffries’ office confirmed the Washington Post anecdote to CNBC.
McCarthy also confirmed to reporters on Friday that he had held a meeting in his office that day with Musk and several top Republicans: Majority Leader Steve Scalise R-La., Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer , R-Ky., and Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash.
McCarthy said she wants to “continue the discussion” about fairness on technology platforms with other lawmakers as she seeks to move legislation and make sure “Americans have an equal voice,” NBC News reported.
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