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Public disputes concerning news and entertainment media, ownership, mergers, editorial decisions, reporting, and media institutions.
Counts show individual statements. They do not assign an overall position.
3 statements on this page. Dates: September 19, 2026 to October 18, 2026
3 matching statements. Dates: September 19, 2026 to October 18, 2026
3 published statements. Dates: September 19, 2026 to October 18, 2026
3 published statements. Dates: September 19, 2026 to October 18, 2026
3 statements on this page. Dates: September 19, 2026 to October 18, 2026
Role at the time: U.S. senator from Vermont
Statement summary
Bernie Sanders condemns TikTok's blocking of Musk-documentary advertising as an example of billionaire media power.
“Larry Ellison’s TikTok blocked advertising for a documentary criticizing Elon Musk. Fight back. Defeat oligarchy. Preserve democracy.”
Sanders cited Meta's No Kings suspension, restrictions in Brazil and TikTok's Musk-documentary advertising suspension in one post.
Sanders treats the advertising suspension as part of an antidemocratic pattern by billionaire-owned platforms.
Role at the time: U.S. senator from Vermont
Statement summary
Bernie Sanders condemns the No Kings suspension as part of a broader criticism of billionaire control over media platforms.
“This is what billionaire ownership of the media means: Mark Zuckerberg’s Meta shut down the No Kings account for hours during the height of their protests. Meta suppressed accounts supporting Brazil President Lula da Silva in the recent election. Larry Ellison’s TikTok blocked advertising for a documentary criticizing Elon Musk. Fight back. Defeat oligarchy. Preserve democracy.”
Sanders cited Meta's No Kings suspension, restrictions in Brazil and TikTok's Musk-documentary advertising suspension in one post.
The reference point is Meta's October 17, 2026 suspension of the No Kings Coalition Instagram account during the coalition's day of action. Sanders cites the suspension as an example of what billionaire ownership of the media means and calls on people to fight back, which condemns it.
Role at the time: U.S. senator from Vermont, in a public statement reported by The New York Times
Statement summary
Sanders said the press exclusions undermined the First Amendment, the Constitution and democracy, and called them authoritarian.
“We will not allow Trump to undermine the First Amendment, the Constitution and our democracy. We will not accept authoritarianism.”
The Times's live report attributes statements to White House communications director Steven Cheung, Senator Bernie Sanders and commentator Benny Johnson while covering enforcement of the ban.
Sanders directly opposes the conduct as an attack on constitutional press freedom and characterizes it as authoritarian.
