Trump Goes to War With Twitter After Platform Hides His Tweet For ‘Glorifying Violence’ (UPDATES)
Olivier Douliery/Getty Images.
President Donald Trump commented on the civil unrest in Minneapolis following the killing of George Floyd under police custody in a series of early morning tweets, but it is Twitter’s response to his claim that “when the looting starts, the shooting starts” that will likely have the deeper political implications.
Twitter blocked the second tweet of his two-part post, noting that the “Tweet violated Twitter Rules about glorifying violence.” A screen capture below:
The embattled president is currently dealing with criticism for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic that has left more than 100,000 American citizens dead. Meanwhile, he has engaged in a political battle with the social media platform on which he enjoys an audience of over 80 million followers. Twitter recently fact-checked Trump’s baseless conspiracy surrounding mail-in voter fraud, which prompted a toothless executive order cracking down on social media platforms.
It is in this context that Trump’s latest battle with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey must be viewed. As rioters and looters protested the killing of Floyd, which the president appeared to be watching unfold live on television, he tweeted that he couldn’t “stand back & watch this happen to a great American City,” before making his criticism political. Trump tweeted:
I can’t stand back & watch this happen to a great American City, Minneapolis. A total lack of leadership. Either the very weak Radical Left Mayor, Jacob Frey, get his act together and bring the City under control, or I will send in the National Guard & get the job done right…..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 29, 2020
It was the second tweet, however, that threatened to send U.S. military forces in to “assume control,” with Trump adding, “when the looting starts, the shooting starts.”
….These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 29, 2020
Earlier on Thursday, Twitter’s vice president of global communications revealed that the social media platform anticipated much of Trump’s reaction to having his tweets flagged as misinformation, including a possible move to revisit Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, which protects Internet platforms from liability for content posted on their sites.
UPDATE 7:10 a.m.: Trump appears to have responded to Twitter’s censuring his tweet by calling for more regulation:
Twitter is doing nothing about all of the lies & propaganda being put out by China or the Radical Left Democrat Party. They have targeted Republicans, Conservatives & the President of the United States. Section 230 should be revoked by Congress. Until then, it will be regulated!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 29, 2020
UPDATE 8:51 a.m.: The official White House Twitter account posted Trump’s quote in apparent defiance of Twitter:
“These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!” https://t.co/GDwAydcAOw
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 29, 2020
UPDATE: 9:45 a.m.: Twitter has now hidden the White House tweet:
