Twitter CEO Elon Musk met with Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) within the Capitol on Thursday, a gathering that centered on the explosive subject of guaranteeing that Twitter is even-handed in its strategy to each the Democratic and Republican Events, based on Musk’s account of the dialog.

Musk additionally met briefly with the highest Home Democrat, Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries (N.Y.), who was assembly with McCarthy across the time that Musk arrived, based on a supply acquainted with the encounter. 

“Simply met with @SpeakerMcCarthy & @RepJeffries to debate guaranteeing that this platform is honest to each events,” Musk wrote on Twitter Thursday afternoon.

McCarthy, who turned 58 on Thursday, declined to debate the dialog, quipping that Musk was visiting the Capitol merely to commemorate his special occasion. 

“He got here to want me blissful birthday,” the Speaker instructed reporters whereas rising from his workplace. “We’ve been mates for years.”

Thursday was not the primary time Musk huddled with McCarthy. In August, he spoke at a Republican retreat hosted by McCarthy in Wyoming, which GOP candidates and supporters additionally attended.

Jeffries had not beforehand deliberate to satisfy with Musk, the supply stated, however McCarthy provided to introduce the pair, they usually spoke briefly as Jeffries was leaving the Speaker’s workplace.

Requested concerning the dialogue later within the night, Jeffries declined to remark. 

Musk’s go to to the Capitol comes at a risky second for Twitter, which is looking for its footing underneath the brand new CEO, who got here aboard lower than three months in the past with vows to get rid of content material moderation insurance policies that conservatives had claimed have been biased towards them. 

In one in all his most high-profile acts as CEO so far, Musk reinstated former President Trump’s Twitter account, ending a ban that went into impact following the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol. The ex-president, nevertheless, has not returned to the platform he utilized prolifically throughout his tenure within the White Home, opting to proceed utilizing his Reality Social platform to relay messages.

Simply this week, Meta introduced that Trump’s Fb and Instagram accounts would also be reinstated.

Hours earlier than the go to, Jeffries was requested concerning the selections by Meta and Twitter to reinstate Trump’s social media accounts. The Democratic chief declined to remark particularly, however he’s warned previously that the previous president poses a hazard to the nation’s democratic traditions, and he amplified that message on Thursday. 

“The threats to democracy associated to Donald Trump converse for themselves,” Jeffries stated.

Musk’s go to to Capitol Hill additionally comes amid hypothesis that the Home Oversight and Reform Committee is requesting testimony from former Twitter workers at a listening to subsequent month to debate how the platform handled reporting on Hunter Biden.

Republicans have accused Twitter’s former leaders of suppressing, within the months earlier than the 2020 elections, an explosive story involving a mysterious laptop computer pc owned by President Biden’s son, Hunter Biden. Now within the Home majority, Republicans are focusing various investigations on the contents of the youthful Biden’s laptop computer, in addition to his enterprise dealings overseas. 

Axios reported earlier this month that Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), the chairman of the Oversight and Reform Committee, penned letters to ex-Twitter workers who had a hand in figuring out how the New York Put up report was introduced on the platform.