It’s ironic that the social media platform Twitter has found itself embroiled in a discussion over free speech in the last week, the result of the company’s decision to begin “de-verifying” (read: stripping some users of their blue check mark) users known to spread controversial — some believe hateful — speech.
Ironic because for some like Juanita Broaddrick — who has claimed for years to have been raped by former President Bill Clinton when he was running for governor of Arkansas — Twitter is the place they’ve found their voices.
And, in as much as one can “hear “someone’s voice on Twitter, Broaddrick’s is particularly loud.
She has had the same tweet “pinned” to the top of her Twitter account since January, 2016:
I was 35 years old when Bill Clinton, Ark. Attorney General raped me and Hillary tried to silence me. I am now 73….it never goes away.
— Juanita Broaddrick (@atensnut) January 6, 2016
And she has been using the application steadily ever since. Recently she took comedian Chelsea Handler to task in a twitter exchange when Handler weighed in on the Roy Moore allegations coming out of Alabama:
Handler first wrote about Roy Moore, the Alabama Senate candidate who’s facing a slew of sexually-tied scandalous accusations right now.
“Imagine being molested by an older man,” Handler tweeted. “Then that man denies ever doing it and then goes on and gets elected to United State [S]enate. What kind of message does that send to young girls everywhere? And men to all the men who abuse women?”
It wasn’t long before the hypocrisy angle was highlighted — by Broaddrick herself.
Broaddrick tweeted, until her @atensnut handle: “Yeahm @chelseahandler I can imagine. I was raped by the Arkansas AG who then becomes Governor & President and NBC held my interview explaining the rape until after his impeachment hearing. But I’m sure you don’t want to go there.”
Handler ultimately apologized and told Broaddrick she believed her story.
Broaddrick’s voice has become more empowered and ever stronger on the digital application as the near-daily allegations of sexual harassment have worn on. On Nov. 20, CNN’s Ana Navarro, adopting the current line that every allegation and accuser must be believed, sent out a tweet to prove she’s a good feminist who backs her sisters. Broaddrick took her to the woodshed.
I believe Donald Trump’s accusers. I believe Harvey Weinstein’s accusers. I believe Mark Halperin’s accusers. I believe Al Franken’s accuser. I believe Charlie Rose’s accusers. I believe Glenn Thrush’s accusers. I believe Roy Moore’s accusers. The last 1, they were also underage.
— Ana Navarro-Cárdenas (@ananavarro) November 20, 2017
You left out one name, Ana. Do you believe Bill Clinton's victims? I'd like to know because I am one of them. https://t.co/Qv4DdtohLT
— Juanita Broaddrick (@atensnut) November 21, 2017
Whose your friend there Ana, whom you failed to mention in your "I Believe victim's of" list. My goodness. Is that Bill Clinton? pic.twitter.com/ZhaYHDkerF
— Juanita Broaddrick (@atensnut) November 21, 2017
Broaddrick’s newfound voice — one she’s claimed she silenced out of fear of not only Bill, but Lady Hillary as well — is doubtless ringing uncomfortably in the ears of progressives, who have begun to wonder, 40 years later, if perhaps she might actually be credible (when as late as last summer they were comparing anyone who believed her to conspiracy theorists):
Even one year ago, when Broaddrick was brought up in the context of Hillary R. Clinton’s campaign for the White House, there was pushback from the leftist-dominated mainstream media.
At one point, during the summer, “Meet the Press” host Chuck Todd compared people, who believed Broaddrick to conspiracy theorists questioning the circumstances surrounding the 1993 death of Deputy White House Counsel Vincent W. Foster Jr.
Then, Harvey Weinstein was exposed Oct. 5.
Now Chris Hayes of MSNBC is rethinking the “Bill Clinton ‘stuff'” and he’s not alone. Broaddrick, it seems, has become the face of the silent, marginalized victim who had to wait half her life for the opportunity to join in a hashtag campaign in order to feel safe enough to tell her story.
She’s the biggest #metoo there is. And she’s taking full advantage of it. Her digital lungs are strong and we can expect much, much more of her story. Hopefully Twitter stands back and lets her continue to tell it.
The time has come for me to talk about my life and abuse in full. I am working on a book with @nicklulli to set the record straight on what Bill Clinton did to me. You can find out more at https://t.co/uqksPOfHqA. #yesitwasrape
— Juanita Broaddrick (@atensnut) November 17, 2017
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