It looks like Alex Jones has at least one friend on the internet. Yesterday, Donald Trump weighed in on the current debate regarding social media and censorship, particularly the blocking of alt-right radio host Jones from various social media platforms.
Tweeting from his Bedminister resort in New Jersey, the President declared that “social media is discriminating against conservative/Republican voices” that are “speaking loudly for the Trump administration,” before accusing CNN and MSNBC of being the real purveryors of fake news.
Social Media is totally discriminating against Republican/Conservative voices. Speaking loudly and clearly for the Trump Administration, we won’t let that happen. They are closing down the opinions of many people on the RIGHT, while at the same time doing nothing to others…….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 18, 2018
…..Censorship is a very dangerous thing & absolutely impossible to police. If you are weeding out Fake News, there is nothing so Fake as CNN & MSNBC, & yet I do not ask that their sick behavior be removed. I get used to it and watch with a grain of salt, or don’t watch at all..
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 18, 2018
….Too many voices are being destroyed, some good & some bad, and that cannot be allowed to happen. Who is making the choices, because I can already tell you that too many mistakes are being made. Let everybody participate, good & bad, and we will all just have to figure it out!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 18, 2018
The 72-year-old’s comments come after several social media platforms banned Jones and his conspiracy theory website InfoWars, including Facebook, YouTube, Spotify, and Apple. At first Twitter refused to ban Jones, claiming he hadn’t breached any of their guidelines. However, he has since been temporarily suspended for a video threatening journalists with guns.
Tech giants have been working to cull the spread of fake news and conspiracy theories on their platforms, as well as racist and sexist content. In the past Jones has stated that the Sandy Hook massacre and 9/11 were hoaxes, amongst other bogus claims, landing him in hot water.
Jones has since said that removing his content is censorship, and released a video statement claiming that there is “an attack on our birthright of free speech” and that “all nationalists and all conservatives are being shadowbanned and dialled down to nothing.”
However, social media organisations claim they aren’t trying to hinder free speech, just restrict offensive content.
Responses to the President’s most recent Twitter outburst were mixed.
Some weren’t convinced by the tirade
Have you considered spending your Saturday mornings with your son Barron instead of sitting on the toilet all morning tweeting?
— Greg Shugar (@GregShugar) August 18, 2018
— Heather Singletary (@HeatherGaultier) August 19, 2018
Trump, are you seriously defending Alex Jones over other media. The same Alex Jones who calls for riots and has said that the Sandy Hook shooting never happened and harassed its victims. Wow, new pathetic low for you!!! @SpeakerRyan and @SenateMajLdr , WAKE UP!!!
— Fred Guttenberg (@fred_guttenberg) August 18, 2018
No, they’re silencing the hate mongers and conspiracy theory promoters who violate social media policy. Get educated.
— JulieE (@juell1) August 19, 2018
But of course YOU believe that when YOU try to censor the media it’s ok. But when the censorship is done TO you or people you agree with, THEN you have a problem with it. Hypocrisy thy name is Trump.
— Sithinious (@Sithinious) August 19, 2018
Whereas a few seemed to agree with his stance
Thank you President Trump for defending conservative voices! Many of us, including me, are only here to help you!
We need you!— Lori Hendry (@Lrihendry) August 18, 2018
You realize “social media” and “the people” are one and the same. This post is a call to silence the people.
— Drew Christensen Sanchez (@GrimmDrew) August 19, 2018
One user claimed the reason there was more anti-Trump tweets on the thread than pro was because of Twitter censorship
Absolutely true. Trump supporters are suppressed, our retweets of the President disappear. Positive replies to POTUS are buried.#ConservativeCensorship
— ❌Keep America Great❌??Trump 2020 ?? (@pearl_of_truth) August 19, 2018
While other users pointed out the hypocrisy of complaining about social media on social media
If social media was truly targeting voices on the right, your account wouldn’t exist!
— AEA Thoughts (@iThinker108) August 19, 2018
Soooo. They are constantly on social media complaining about how social media isn’t fair to them. Can they take the time to explain how we are still able to read all their posts if social media isn’t allowing them? pic.twitter.com/iwX9YIyufb
— Darryl L. Forbes (@darrylforbes_) August 19, 2018
0 Comments