YouTuber Tim Pool has filed a defamation lawsuit against Vice President Kamala Harris’ presidential campaign. The lawsuit comes after the campaign’s account on X, @KamalaHQ, posted a misleading video clip that Pool says falsely accused him of advocating for the “extrajudicial execution” of former President Donald Trump’s political opponents.
Background of the Lawsuit
In late August, the Harris campaign posted a clip from a May episode of Pool’s podcast, Timcast IRL, which featured guest Laura Loomer. The clip showed Pool discussing the accountability of political figures who have committed crimes. Loomer mentioned that those who have committed treason have historically faced the death penalty. The campaign’s post on X stated, “Trump operatives say their Project 2025 plan is to give Trump total, unchecked legal power so they can jail and execute those who don’t support Trump if he wins.”
Harris’ campaign also claimed that Pool “scrubbed” the video from his YouTube account. Pool, who owns SCNR News, has regularly removed videos referencing death due to YouTube’s terms of service. The post has since garnered over 12 million views.
Response and Legal Action
Pool quickly sought legal counsel over what he described as a “psychotic lie” by the Harris campaign. On September 17, 2024, Pool formally filed a lawsuit against the Harris campaign for defamation. He stated, “I believe that they know they are lying,” adding that the post falsely labeled him as a “Trump operative” who supported Project 2025 and sought the imprisonment and execution of Trump’s opponents. “It is so antithetical to my views. It is the exact opposite of what was being said in the video,” Pool said during an episode of Timcast IRL.
Impact on Pool’s Career and Security
The lawsuit details Pool’s history as a political commentator and independent journalist, highlighting his previous support for former President Barack Obama’s 2008 campaign and Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders’ 2016 bid. Pool’s opposition to the death penalty and his critical stance on the Global War on Terror are also emphasized.
Pool claims the Harris campaign’s post has caused significant reputational harm, making it difficult for him to book guests with opposing views, particularly Democratic politicians. The lawsuit argues that “the reputational harm the Harris Campaign inflicted on Mr. Pool will take millions of dollars to undo.”
The lawsuit also mentions a recent security breach potentially inspired by the Harris campaign’s post. Pool reported that a man showed up at one of his properties, attacked an employee, and left them injured. Additionally, neighbors reported trespassers on Pool’s property.
Context and Misrepresentation
The lawsuit argues that the Harris campaign did not present their statement as an opinion but as a fact, leading reasonable readers to believe that Pool advocated for suspending the Constitution and executing political opponents. “According to the Harris Campaign then, Mr. Pool’s ‘plan’ is to imitate one of the hallmarks of the most abhorrent, murderous regimes of the past and present.”
Pool also highlighted his stance on X, then Twitter, in October 2019, stating, “I am anti-violence, anti-censorship, anti-corporatist, against mass centralization of power in any form, against illegal spying and the security state, against racism, against fascism, against war.”
Seeking Damages and Retraction
Pool’s lawsuit alleges the Harris campaign engaged in two counts of libel defamation under West Virginia law and bad faith misconduct. He is seeking a retraction of the Harris campaign’s post, as well as damages and attorney fees and costs.
“Mr. Pool cannot stand idly by while the Harris Campaign’s lie continues to fester, inflaming the public while harming his reputation and cutting him off from those he wants to reach and persuade,” the lawsuit concludes.
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