SAN ANSELMO, CALIFORNIA – JANUARY 08: The suspended Twitter account of U.S. President Donald Trump appears on a laptop screen on January 08, 2021 in San Anselmo, California. Citing the risk of further incitement of violence following an attempted insurrection on Wednesday, Twitter permanently suspended President Donald Trump’s account. (Photo Illustration by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)
Conservative lawmakers are slamming Twitter for deleting President Trump’s account, citing Big Tech censorship.
The social media giant banned the President’s personal account on Friday to prevent “inciting further violence” following the attack on Capitol Hill. However, his official ‘POTUS’ account remains active although several of its tweets were deleted this week. Moderate to conservative voices were quick to denounce the move as censorship.
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
Former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley compared it to the oppression of citizens in communist China. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) said the ban will “only divide us further.”
What happened on Wednesday at the U.S. Capitol is as wrong as wrong can be.
But canceling conservative speech will not promote “unity and healing.”
It will only divide us further.
— Rep. Jim Jordan (@Jim_Jordan) January 9, 2021
The President’s son, Don Jr. — who himself has faced threats of censorship from Twitter — referenced the dystopian reality of the novel “1984” by George Orwell. He also noted Big Tech killed free speech in America.
We are living Orwell’s 1984. Free-speech no longer exists in America. It died with big tech and what’s left is only there for a chosen few.
This is absolute insanity! https://t.co/s2z8ymFsLX
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) January 9, 2021
Other lawmakers pointed to Twitter’s hypocrisy as it allows the account of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei to keep running, despite terrorism threats towards the U.S.
The Ayatollah, Iran's President & their terrorist mouthpiece Zarif all have full, unfettered Twitter access.
Chinese Communist Party officials are free to tweet out that the US military sent Coronavirus to China.
Meanwhile, the President of the USA has been permanently banned.
— Lee Zeldin (@leezeldin) January 9, 2021
Rep. Lee Zeldin (R-N.Y.) pointed to ”anti-American” tweets also from the Chinese Communist Party. Even Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), whose waning support for the President has become noticed by conservatives, called the decision a “mistake.”
Twitter may ban me for this but I willingly accept that fate: Your decision to permanently ban President Trump is a serious mistake.
The Ayatollah can tweet, but Trump can’t. Says a lot about the people who run Twitter.
— Lindsey Graham (@LindseyGrahamSC) January 9, 2021
Conservatives said Twitter has lost any respect it had for free speech. They noted the Big Tech giant is pushing Democrat agendas by silencing conservatives who speak out.
In the meantime, Facebook and Instagram have placed temporary bans on the President’s accounts until the end of his term. Snapchat and Twitch have suspended the President’s access to his accounts, as well.
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