歪歪漫画

ST. PAUL 鈥� 鈥淥brigado, Brasil!鈥�

Those two words 鈥� Portuguese for 鈥淭hanks, Brazil鈥� 鈥� are the focus of Minnesota Republicans鈥� backlash against Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison, who posted the phrase to X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter, this week.

Screenshot / X

Ellison鈥檚 comment came hours after news broke Monday, Sept. 2, of Brazil鈥檚 high court upholding a ruling that prohibits Brazilians from using X. The ban comes after the social media company, based in San Francisco, failed to appoint new legal counsel in Brazil by a court-established deadline.

The ban is viewed by some as a form of censorship, as Brazil鈥檚 decision to block the site followed an initiative to crack down on disinformation spreading throughout South America鈥檚 most populous country.

And the seemingly celebratory tone taken in Ellison鈥檚 post is a sore point for Republicans in Minnesota鈥檚 House of Representatives, who wrote to Gov. Tim Walz on Thursday.

鈥淲e write to express our profound concern about a recent social media post on Attorney General Ellison鈥檚 personal/campaign account on X,鈥� a letter signed by nearly 50 Republican state representatives reads. 鈥淕iven the context of recent events in Brazil, this post has raised significant concern about what exactly Attorney General Ellison was celebrating in Brazil.鈥�

The letter called X CEO Elon Musk鈥檚 resistance to the suppression of free speech in Brazil a 鈥減roud American tradition,鈥� and recalled American outrage over China鈥檚 crackdown on student demonstrations in the late 1980s, specifically the incident in Tiananmen Square.

鈥淢any have interpreted Attorney General Ellison鈥檚 post as a break with this tradition. Instead of standing in solidarity with those struggling for individual freedom, it appears he is expressing support for an authoritarian crackdown on free speech,鈥� the letter reads. 鈥淭his is particularly troubling given the oath each of us took to 鈥榮upport the constitution of the United States and this state,鈥� as well as the special role of our state attorney general to uphold the constitutional rights of all Minnesotans.鈥�

Citing Walz鈥檚 record on First Amendment principles, the 48 Republican representatives who signed on to the letter ask for the governor鈥檚 condemnation of Brazil鈥檚 apparent censorship.

鈥淲e therefore expect that you are troubled by Attorney General Ellison鈥檚 apparent support for censorship 鈥� and we urge you to join us in condemning that authoritarian censorship,鈥� the letter begins to conclude.

It further asks for clarity from Ellison, asking whether the attorney general himself posted or authorized the post, whether he was thanking Brazil for another matter, and whether he鈥檚 fit to serve as the state鈥檚 top law enforcement officer.

Brian Evans, spokesman for the Minnesota Attorney General鈥檚 Office, declined to comment, referring any questions to Ellison鈥檚 campaign office. As of midday Friday, the campaign had not returned a request for comment.

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