In what could be a crippling blow to his right-wing social media domination, Twitter has banned President Donald Trump from the platform for life, less than 11 days before he is scheduled to leave office. The move also comes two days after the president incited an angry mob to break into the U.S. Capitol while Congress was in the process of certifying Joe Biden‘s victory, a terroristic rampage that left five dead and the nation stunned at a traitorous element in its midst.
“After close review of recent Tweets from the @realDonaldTrump account and the context around them we have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence,” Twitter said in a statement via tweet. “In the context of horrific events this week, we made it clear on Wednesday that additional violations of the Twitter Rules would potentially result in this very course of action. Our public interest framework exists to enable the public to hear from elected officials and world leaders directly. It is built on a principle that the people have a right to hold power to account in the open. However, we made it clear going back years that these accounts are not above our rules and cannot use Twitter to incite violence. We will continue to be transparent around our policies and their enforcement.”
Related: Don Jr. wasted absolutely no time b*tching about his dad’s Twitter ban…on Twitter
Twitter had already banned Trump for a 12-hour period for “repeated and severe violations of our Civic Integrity policy,” both for inciting violence and repeating false claims that the 2020 election was rigged. The life ban could hurt his attempts to stay politically relevant after he leaves the White House although he is quickly gravitating his social media presence to right-wing platforms such as Parler, where users can post defamatory propaganda unfettered by fact-checking or monitoring. (UPDATE, Apple has threatened to ban Parler from its app story unless it bans violent threats from its platform.)
Twitter further elaborated on the permanent ban in a blog post, citing two new tweets from Trump that also violated the website’s policies.
Related: Twitter bans Trump ally Steve Bannon for suggesting the beheading of Anthony Fauci
After close review of recent Tweets from the @realDonaldTrump account and the context around them we have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence.https://t.co/CBpE1I6j8Y
— Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety) January 8, 2021
“Due to the ongoing tensions in the United States, and an uptick in the global conversation in regards to the people who violently stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021, these two Tweets must be read in the context of broader events in the country and the ways in which the President’s statements can be mobilized by different audiences, including to incite violence, as well as in the context of the pattern of behavior from this account in recent weeks,” Twitter stated.
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey’s decision came not long after GLAAD and other LGBTQ equality groups called on Twitter and Facebook to make their bans permanent based on the Trump administration’s history of animus to gay people and because “the risk of allowing Trump to continue this behavior using these platforms is too great.”
Few will forget that in 2017, Trump attempted to ban transgender servicemembers via Tweet over the objections of his own military advisors.
Facebook has placed Trump on indefinite suspension citing the violence earlier this week. No word yet from Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg, a notorious Trump enabler, on whether the company will follow suit and take Trump’s ban from “indefinite” to lifelong.
GlobeTrotter
Much too little, much too late! Twitter has resisted calls for four years to ban Trump’s vile, hate-speech on their platform, but the ad-revenues from an unstable individual that whipped 88 million followers into a daily frenzy was sweeter music to Twitter’s ears.
For four years, Twitter cared NOTHING about public safety. For four years, Twitter cared NOTHING about stopping Trump from dividing the nation. For four years, Twitter cared NOTHING about stopping him from spreading conspiracy theories. For four years, Twitter cared NOTHING about Trump’s hate speech and abusive language. For four years, Twitter cared NOTHING about his vulgarity and flouting the law.
It took the death of FIVE people after a failed insurrection for Twitter to finally hold Trump to the same standards that every single other member must bide by. By putting profits above duty, Jack Dorsey enabled Donald Trump for four years, and is therefore complicit in the events at Capitol Hill.
Kieran
The only people that should be allowed to speak are people that agree with us. Everybody else should be banned! This “Freedom of Speech is the bedrock of democracy” is total BS.
GlobeTrotter
@Kieran: You can disagree without inciting violence. You can disagree without spreading dangerous conspiracy theories. You can disagree without forming an insurrection and trying to overthrow the government. None of that has anything to do with freedom of speech!
Kieran
ACLU on Trump/Twitter:
“it should concern everyone when companies like Facebook and Twitter wield the unchecked power to remove people from platforms that have become indispensable for the speech of billions — especially when political realities make those decisions easier”
“President Trump can turn to his press team or Fox News to communicate with the public, but others — like the many Black, Brown, and LGBTQ activists who have been censored by social media companies — will not have that luxury.”
Absolutely true. What goes around comes around. If these spoiled brat tech oligarchs can ban a President, they can ban YOU.
GlobeTrotter
@Kieran: Spare me the crocodile tears! There should be no room for hate speech and incitement to violence, PERIOD! No matter who you are, what color your skin, no one should have the right to call others to violence!
Dr Sarah
@Kieran: Anyone who avoids actively inciting to violence or treason can keep posting to Twitter. It’s really not a difficult category to stay in. You got a problem with that?
Cam
@Kieran
Just so I can get the right wing troll account views correct….businesses SHOULD discriminate against LGBTQ people who want to buy a cake, but don’t have the right to ban somebody who violates their safety rules.
Ok, got it genius.
whatsaywhat
Twitter has aided and abetted the cult leader from day one. Jack Dorsey is just another greedy, amoral rat swimming away from the ship as the as it goes down.
Prax07
Honestly yeah, they should’ve banned the idiot, and Don Jr, and all the rest AGES ago. It really is too little, too late. But at least they Finally did it.
ScottOnEarth
Too little, too late. The cowards at Twitter have significant culpability in enabling trump to spread his messages of insurgence and violence in advance of 1/6/21. For months, they allowed him to incite and motivate his mindless followers to do exactly what everyone knew would happen this week.
michel_banen
This is more of a symbolic ban. Trump brought Twitter millions of users and banning him at the end of his term is way overdue. His propaganda, lies, outspoken love for the proud boys [still sounds gay] and things like that…. Twitter should have banned Trump a long time ago.
If Trump will urge his followers to leave Twitter then that will be a big blow to the playform but I’d say good riddance.
Heywood Jablowme
Last night I was curious what Fox News was up to. Nothing about Trump’s insurrection, no actual real news like that. No, Fvcker Carlson was whining about Twitter and Facebook committing “CENSORSHIP”!
Apparently nobody on that side is aware that the First Amendment refers only to government control of speech, not a private company’s actions. “Conservatives” are usually in favor of private companies doing whatever they want – except when they’re not, and/or QAnon thinks the CEO is a pedophile cannibal, or something.
Kangol2
They only want the government involved when it’s suppressing the actions of the Left, the poor, racial minorities, women, etc., fighting wars that might help them enrich themselves or wreaking havoc that will come back to haunt this country, and pouring money into their right-wing pockets. Otherwise they whine and distort the Constitution. They were gleeful as churches, right-wing organizations, private schools, and countless GOP-associated organizations got BILLION$ in our tax dollars early in 2020, yet screech about “handouts” or “the deficit” or “the debt” blah blah when it comes time to $600, let alone $1200 or $2000 checks for the vast majority of people (the 99%) who could use it. Same as it ever was!
Cam
It’s cute how right wingers keep screaming that Trump is being censored.
Funny, because he could walk 50 feet and give a press conference any time he wants.
Kangol2
On Wednesday the treasonous Fuehrer-wannabe Don the Con Trump came out of his bunker, gave a speech, and tried to rev up his coup. No one silenced him, did they? Did they, right-wingers?
iggy6666
Twitter and Trump are like a toxic couple that just won’t break up.
Joshua333
Okay so it might be a bit late for Twitter to do this but at least they finally did it.
whateverokok
Yes, let’s blame the man in charge for everything that has happened in the last couple of years or more. When in fact, this has been brewing for some time. One person cannot just incite violence and hatred in people overnight. This type of hatred and violence is bred over time. A long lot of time. It takes years and years for this type of behavior to be bred.
Make no mistake, this has been brewing for maybe 5, 10, or more years. Also realize that very few in our nation’s capitol has our best interests at heart. They only care about the money, of which most of us on here don’t have enough of to make difference to them. We are but stones to step on to get the people they really care about. We’re being used and we don’t even care.