On Wednesday, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), who has had her own issues with spreading disinformation, pontificated once again at length, this time calling on other Democratic candidates and “big tech companies” to stop the “spread of false information.” Warren stated, “The stakes of this election are too high. We need to fight the spread of false information that disempowers voters and undermines democracy. I’ll do my part—and I’m calling on my fellow candidates and big tech companies to do their part, too.”
Actor Rob Schneider, thoroughly disgusted, blasted Warren on Twitter, firing back, “Thank YOU @ewarren for treating Americans like we are so completely f***ing stupid that we can’t think for ourselves. Luckily we have leaders like YOU who can tell us what to believe & how to vote. You are right:the stakes are too high to trust the people to decide for themselves.”
Thank YOU @ewarren for treating Americans like we are so completely f#cking stupid that we can’t think for ourselves. Luckily we have leaders like YOU who can tell us what to believe & how to vote. You are right:the stakes are too high to trust the people to decide for themselves https://t.co/o8BNtQ4zPh
— Rob Schneider (@RobSchneider) January 30, 2020
Schneider has been outspoken about his conservatism for some time; in April 2017, he tweeted,”UC Berkeley, after your done eliminating speech you don’t like & words you don’t like what’s next? Maybe add burning books to the curriculum.” Three months later he targeted CNN for their threat to doxx the creator of the .gif in which President Trump savagely punched out a figure whose visage was emblazoned “CNN.”
CNN had threatened:
CNN is not publishing “HanA**holeSolo’s” name because he is a private citizen who has issued an extensive statement of apology, showed remorse by saying he has taken down all his offending posts, and because he said he is not going to repeat this ugly behavior on social media again. In addition, he said his statement could serve as an example to others not to do the same. CNN reserves the right to publish his identity should any of that change.
Schneider fired back:
CNN is biased,fake,lies,distortions,fake sources & a blackmailer.
I reserve the right to watch your network again should any of that change.
In April 2018, Schneider slammed “Saturday Night Live,” telling The New York Daily News, “The fun of ‘Saturday Night Live’ was always you never knew which way they leaned politically. You kind of assumed they would lean more left and liberal, but now the cat’s out of the bag they are completely against Trump, which I think makes it less interesting because you know the direction the piece is going.”
In May 2019, Schneider targeted Big Tech, tweeting, “We are in a real world Orwellian nightmare of censorship. Be careful who you label and smear today. You will be the smeared tomorrow! Just bizarre. Progressive Democrats, who once stood for Civil Rights, Liberty,Free Speech now stand for censorship & removing parent rights.”
Warren, who is infamous for having claimed Native American heritage, couldn’t help herself from a long-winded diatribe, tweeting:
In the 2016 election we saw how digital disinformation was used to influence and suppress voters. But 4 years later, we’re hardly better prepared for it. Donald Trump has welcomed foreign interference in our elections, and if he isn’t removed from office, he’ll continue to do so.
Anyone who seeks to challenge and defeat Donald Trump must be prepared to take on the full array of disinformation that foreign actors and people in and around his campaign will use to divide Democrats, suppress Democratic votes, and erode the standing of the Democratic nominee
So today, I’m making a pledge: I will not knowingly use or spread disinformation to benefit my own candidacy or damage others. And I will fight disinformation aimed at my campaign, my opponents, and voters.
I’m sending a clear message to anyone associated with the Warren campaign: I will not tolerate the use of false information or false accounts to attack my opponents, promote my campaign, or undermine our elections. And I urge my fellow candidates to do the same.
I’m also calling on tech companies like Facebook, Twitter, and Google to take real steps right now to fight disinformation spread on their platforms. The safety of our democracy is more important than shareholder dividends and CEO salaries.
Campaigns and tech companies can take a number of steps to slow the spread of misinformation right now. And as president, I’ll take a series of actions to further address the spread of disinformation.
The stakes of this election are too high. We need to fight the spread of false information that disempowers voters and undermines democracy. I’ll do my part—and I’m calling on my fellow candidates and big tech companies to do their part, too.