The US President Donald Trump
threatened to close social media platforms on Wednesday after Twitter labelled
two of his “unsubstantiated” tweets and accused him of making false
claims.
threatened to close social media platforms on Wednesday after Twitter labelled
two of his “unsubstantiated” tweets and accused him of making false
claims.
Twitter criticized tweets in which the
president said November’s mail-in vote would lead to fraud and a “Rigged
Vote. The tweets in question violated a recently expanded Twitter policy, said
the San Francisco-based company.
president said November’s mail-in vote would lead to fraud and a “Rigged
Vote. The tweets in question violated a recently expanded Twitter policy, said
the San Francisco-based company.
Under the tweets, Twitter posted a
link which read “Get the facts about mail-in ballots” — a first for
the social network which has long resisted calls to censure the president.
link which read “Get the facts about mail-in ballots” — a first for
the social network which has long resisted calls to censure the president.
In response, Trump fought back,
tweeting that “Republicans feel that Social Media Platforms totally
silence conservatives voices. We will strongly regulate, or close them down,
before we can ever allow this to happen.”
tweeting that “Republicans feel that Social Media Platforms totally
silence conservatives voices. We will strongly regulate, or close them down,
before we can ever allow this to happen.”
Trump repeated his allegations, saying
“we can’t let large scale Mail-In Ballots take root in our Country. It
would be a free for all on cheating, forgery and the theft of Ballots.
“we can’t let large scale Mail-In Ballots take root in our Country. It
would be a free for all on cheating, forgery and the theft of Ballots.
Whoever cheated the most would win; likewise,
Social Media. Clean up your act, NOW!!!!” he added.
Social Media. Clean up your act, NOW!!!!” he added.
The president also accused social
media platforms of interfering in the last election, saying “we saw what
they attempted to do, and failed, in 2016.”
media platforms of interfering in the last election, saying “we saw what
they attempted to do, and failed, in 2016.”
In serving the public conversation,
our goal is to make it easy to find credible information on Twitter and to
limit the spread of potentially harmful and misleading content,” the
company vowed when the change was announced.
our goal is to make it easy to find credible information on Twitter and to
limit the spread of potentially harmful and misleading content,” the
company vowed when the change was announced.
Twitter’s move came as Trump, already
facing US economic calamity and 100,000 deaths from coronavirus as well as
sinking reelection polls, continued to push a conspiracy theory about TV host
Joe Scarborough.
facing US economic calamity and 100,000 deaths from coronavirus as well as
sinking reelection polls, continued to push a conspiracy theory about TV host
Joe Scarborough.
In an attempted character
assassination of Scarborough, Trump has spread the baseless rumor that
Scarborough murdered an aide.
assassination of Scarborough, Trump has spread the baseless rumor that
Scarborough murdered an aide.
The entirely evidence-free story
claims that Scarborough killed a woman he was having an affair with in 2001,
when he was a Republican congressman and she was one of his staffers.
claims that Scarborough killed a woman he was having an affair with in 2001,
when he was a Republican congressman and she was one of his staffers.
