Dem Candidate Targeting Florida GOP Senator Is A Massive Censorship Advocate

Dem Candidate Targeting Florida GOP Senator Is A Massive Censorship Advocate

Jason Cohen on August 22, 2023

Former Democratic Florida Rep. Debbie Mucarsel-Powell, who launched her bid to oust incumbent Republican Florida Sen. Rick Scott, has routinely targeted conservative Spanish media outlets for expressing what she believes is “disinformation.”

Mucarsel-Powell, who served one term in Congress before losing her reelection bid in 2020, announced her candidacy on Tuesday, attracting substantial support from Democrats. However, after blaming her 2020 loss partly on “disinformation” in Spanish-language media, Mucarsel-Powell has waged a crusade against right-wing outlets that serve Spanish-speaking voters, targeting them as purveyors of so-called disinformation.

Mucarsel-Powell recently took a senior advisor role at Future Majority, a left-wing activist group, and founded Tu Poder, a program that aims to combat Spanish-language “disinformation.” At Tu Poder, Mucarsel-Powell appears on Latino media to fight “disinformation,” and has attempted to marginalize conservative Spanish-language outlets.

“The threat to our national security is the disinformation that continues on stations like Radio Mambi and digital media like El American misleading Latinos in the US by helping Russia at this critical time,” she posted in 2022 shortly after announcing her new role.

Radio Mambi and El American are conservative Spanish-language outlets.

Since leaving office, Mucarsel-Powell has been quoted in numerous outlets urging action on so-called disinformation, and has routinely tweeted on the subject too.

“Congress must hold @radiomambi710 @facebook mainstream Spanish media & politicians like @MaElviraSalazar @marcorubio @RepCarlos accountable for spreading dangerous misinformation,” Mucarsel-Powell posted in 2021. “It is a danger to our communities and our democracy.”

During her time in Congress, Mucarsel-Powell authored a letter to the FBI with Democratic Texas Rep. Joaquin Castro, asserting foreign countries such as Russia were disseminating “disinformation” to Latinos.

“As the FBI works to secure our elections, we urge you to keep the Latino community in mind and consider efforts of foreign actors to spread disinformation and sow doubt in our election systems among Latinos, especially in South Florida,” Mucarsel-Powell and Castro wrote in the letter.

The representatives expressed worries that “disinformation” proliferated on social media, Spanish radio and newspapers and demanded an investigation into this matter.

Mucarsel-Powell also attributed her defeat for reelection in 2020 in part to a “steady campaign of anti-Democrat disinformation that targeted Latinos” in an editorial she wrote in The Washington Post the week after her loss.

“Latinos from South Florida to the Rio Grande Valley were targeted by a surge of disinformation against Democrats on social media that seeped into traditional outlets such as El Nuevo Herald and Spanish talk radio,” Mucarsel-Powell added.

My name is Debbie Mucarsel-Powell. I’m an immigrant, a Latina, and a mother.

I’m not afraid to take on anyone who doesn’t put Florida first. That means you, Rick Scott. That’s why I’m running for U.S. Senate.

Join our campaign at https://t.co/SEjNvvtjF7. pic.twitter.com/Au5T6W6dPe

— Debbie Mucarsel-Powell (@DebbieforFL) August 22, 2023

Congressional Democrats and Democrat-aligned groups, who appreciate Mucarsel-Powell’s Hispanic background and fundraising skills, rallied around her to run for Scott’s seat, according to Politico. About a quarter of Florida’s population is Hispanic.

Mucarsel-Powell and Scott did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.