President Trump (Trump) released a video via Twitter and others for the first time since being silenced by social media on the evening of the 7th EST. (Screenshot of the video)
Twitter announced on the 8th that it had permanently frozen President Trump’s (Trump) personal account. In response, President Trump issued a statement responding that he was considering the possibility of creating his own platform and that he would not be silenced.
At around 6:30 p.m. EST on January 8, Twitter announced that it was permanently freezing the personal account of Trump labeled as the 45th president of the United States. Twitter said, “After carefully reviewing recent tweets and related content sent from the Trump account @realDonaldTrump, we have permanently deactivated the account due to the risk of further incitement to violence.”
At around 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 8, Twitter announced the permanent removal of President Trump’s account. (Web screenshot)
At 8:29 p.m. that night, Trump issued a statement via another Twitter account, @POTUS, condemning Twitter’s interference with free speech. “As I’ve been saying for a long time, Twitter has gone further and further in banning free speech, and tonight, Twitter employees worked with Democrats and radical left-wing organizations to remove my account from the platform and silence me and you. There are 75 million great patriots who voted for me.”
“I predicted this was going to happen. We have been in talks with various other platforms and there will be a major announcement soon, while we are considering the possibility of building our own platform in the near future.” Trump stressed, “We will not be SILENCED!” (WE WILL NOT BE SILENCED!) “Stay tuned!”
He also said that Twitter has nothing to do with free speech. The purpose of Twitter is to create a “radical left” platform where some of the world’s most vicious people can speak freely. “Twitter may be a private company, but they won’t be around for long without the benefits of Section 230 of the government.”
The Trump tweet was then deleted by Twitter as well.
Trump’s official U.S. presidential account posted the tweet, which was again deleted by Twitter. (Screenshot from Trump’s official presidential account)
Jason Miller, an advisor to the Trump campaign, tweeted in response to President Trump’s blocking, writing, “It’s disgusting. Big Tech wants to cancel all 75 million Trump supporters.”
He added, “If you think they [Trump supporters] won’t come after you next, you’re wrong.”
Many free speech activists warned that permanently removing posts from world leaders could set a worrying precedent for censorship.
Social media outlets such as Twitter and Facebook have long been accused of waging a “war of de-platforming” against President Trump and his supporters. Raheem Kassam, editor-in-chief of the conservative U.S. media outlet National Pulse, tweeted that never in the history of mankind has the power of the state and the power of corporations been used to eliminate a person’s existence at the same time as they are now.
The story of Trump’s Twitter ban
Trump tweeted on the morning of the 8th, “75 million great American patriots voted for me, voted for America First and Make America Great Again, and their tremendous voices will be heard for a long time to come. They will never be disrespected or treated unfairly, in any way shape or form.”
Trump then went on to say that he would not be attending the presidential inauguration on Jan. 20. He would become the first U.S. president to miss the inauguration of his successor since 1869.
Twitter claimed that Trump’s two tweets violated its “glorification of violence policy. The two posts are likely to encourage and inspire others to replicate the crimes that occurred at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Therefore, Trump’s account was cancelled.
On the afternoon of January 6, some protesters stormed the U.S. Capitol, and a female protester was shot and killed by police. During the protest, Trump sent several tweets calling on the protesters to remain peaceful and rational and to return home safely.
In the tweets, Trump told the protesters, “Please support our Capitol Police and law enforcement who are truly on the side of our country, please stay peaceful!”
At 4:24 p.m. that day, President Trump tweeted a video calling for the protesters to return home safely, saying he knew the protesters had wounds in their hearts, but he didn’t want anyone else to get hurt as a result.
He said it was a rigged election and that someone stole it from him, from the protesters and from America, but he still wants the protesters to go home, wants them to go home safely.
“Go home, we love you, you are special. We know how you feel!”
At 6:16 p.m. that night, President Trump tweeted again that these are the kinds of things and events that happen when sacred, landslide election victories are unceremoniously and viciously stripped from the hands of great patriots who have been treated grossly and unjustly for so long.
“Come home in love and peace. Remember this day forever!” He wrote.
All of Trump’s above tweets were quickly deleted by Twitter, and a 12-hour freeze on Trump’s account was announced.
At 7:20 p.m. on the 7th, Trump sent a video after his Twitter account was unblocked. He said that because Congress had certified Biden’s victory, he agreed to an orderly and seamless transition of power on Jan. 20.
He again condemned the violence that took place in Congress on the 6th, saying that the United States will always be a nation of laws and must now be calm and quiet.
Trump stressed that this is a moment of “healing and retreat” for the United States, as the Communist virus epidemic has taken a toll on American lives, the economy and countless others.
He told supporters, “I know you’re disappointed, but I also want you to know that our incredible journey is just beginning.”
The video tweet from Trump was also quickly deleted by Twitter.
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