The European Union commissioner who threatened billionaire Elon Musk ahead of his one-on-one interview with Donald Trump last month, has announced his resignation.
In his letter to Musk on August 12, EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton threatened to use the full “toolbox” of measures to protect EU citizens from the “serious harm” his conversation with Trump could cause.
Breton said he was compelled to abide by the “obligations set out in the Digital Services Act (DSA),” a NATO censorship law created with U.S. government help to thwart the spread of populist parties in the West.
“DSA obligations apply without exceptions or discrimination to the moderation of the whole user community and content of X (including yourself as a user with over 190 million followers) which is accessible to EU users and should be fulfilled in line with the risk-based approach of the DSA, which requires greater due diligence in case of a foreseeable increase of the risk profile,” Breton wrote in his letter.
The House Judiciary Committee, led by Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) quickly launched an investigation into Breton for threatening Musk.
“In light of your recent threats of reprisal toward XCorp, an American company, for facilitating political discourse in the United States, we write to demand that you stop any attempt to intimidate individuals or entities engaged in political speech in the United States, and that you take no action to otherwise interfere in the American democratic process,” Jordan wrote in a letter to Breton on August 15.
Now, a month later, the commissioner has announced his resignation.
“I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my colleagues in the College, Commission services, MEPs, Member States, and my team,” Breton posted on X, Monday.
“Together, we have worked tirelessly to advance an ambitious EU agenda. It has been an honour & privilege to serve the common European interest,” he added.
Breton said in his letter that he could no longer perform his duties after EU President Ursula Von Der Leyen asked French President Emmanuel Macron to withdraw his name as France’s official candidate for the Collage of Commissioners.
House Judiciary Republicans posted on X that Breton’s departure was a “big win for freedom.”
Start the discussion at community.amgreatness.com