On Thursday, YouTube ripped down a video of Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) stating the name of the alleged whistleblower on, Eric Ciaramella, who leaked information about a phone call between President Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. The comment was made as he debated the impeachment of President Trump on the Senate floor.
YouTube issued a statement after ripping down the content, saying in a statement, “videos, comments, and other forms of content that mention the leaked whistleblower’s name” violate its community guidelines and will be removed from the site.
“It is a chilling and disturbing day in America when giant web companies such as YouTube decide to censure speech,” Rand Paul said in a statement. “Now, even protected speech, such as that of a senator on the Senate floor, can be blocked from getting to the American people. This is dangerous and politically biased. Nowhere in my speech did I accuse anyone of being a whistleblower, nor do I know the whistleblower’s identity.”
Speaking at a Trump campaign rally in November, Paul demanded that the media print the name of the alleged whistleblower, proclaiming, “Print the whistleblower’s name!”