Facebook removes video interview with Donald Trump
Facebook and Instagram have fired the latest shots in their ongoing war with Donald Trump after an interview he did with his daughter-in-law was removed from the sites.
World
Don't miss out on the headlines from World. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Social media giants Facebook and Instagram have fired a new salvo in their war with former president Donald Trump, scrubbing from their platforms an interview he did with his daughter-in-law.
Mr Trump’s sit-down with former TV producer and Fox News contributor with Lara Trump was removed under a policy saying anything “in the voice of Donald Trump” was banned.
The move sparked immediate backlash from conservative commentators.
“And just like that, we are one step closer to Orwell’s 1984. Wow,” said Lara Trump.
“Wow.”
Her husband Eric Trump said: “This is so horrible – what is our country becoming?”
He posted on Instagram a copy of an email he and several Trump figures were sent by a Facebook employee.
It said any content “in the voice of President Trump is not currently allowed on our platforms (including new posts with President Trump speaking)” and warned that it “will be removed if posted, resulting in additional limitations on accounts that posted it.”
“This guidance applies to all campaign accounts and Pages, including Team Trump, other campaign messaging vehicles on our platforms, and former surrogates,” it said.
The interview was taken down after Lara Trump placed it on her Facebook page.
“Hi folks,” a Facebook employee wrote in an email to her with the subject line “Content Removal.”
“We are reaching out to let you know that we removed content from Lara Trump’s Facebook Page that featured President Trump speaking,” the Facebook employee wrote.
“In line with the block we placed on Donald Trump’s Facebook and Instagram accounts, further content posted in the voice of Donald Trump will be removed and result in additional limitations on the accounts.”
TRUMP LAUNCHES OFFICIAL WEBSITE
Earlier this week, the Trumps launched their official website — vowing to “remain a tireless champion” for Americans as the former US President plans his return to public life.
Mr Trump’s office described the site 45office.com as a bid to stay in touch with supporters and co-ordinate future appearances, stating it “will allow individuals to submit correspondence, scheduling requests, and press inquiries for President and Mrs Trump.”
In a statement, the Trumps said that they “are continually strengthened by the enduring spirit of the American people, and they look forward to staying in touch”, according to the New York Post.
The site states it is “committed to preserving the magnificent legacy of the Trump Administration, while at the same time advancing the America First agenda.”
In addition to providing a way to reach their office, the website also hails the former president’s achievements in office and says it will “strive to inform, educate, and inspire Americans from all walks of life as we seek to build a truly great American Future.”
“Through this office, President Trump will remain a tireless champion for the hardworking men and women of our great country – and for their right to live in safety, dignity, prosperity, and peace.”
The 45th US President has been plotting his comeback since leaving the White House, setting up an office at his Mar-a-Lago resort where he has reportedly been in talks to start his own social media network.
Mr Trump would need his own platform to reconnect with supporters and the press again, as he was banned from most social media sites in the wake of the January 6 Capitol riot.
In the two months since, sites like Facebook have not made a final call on letting Mr Trump return to their platforms.
At this point, however, it does not appear the former president wants to return to traditional social media.
Axios reported last week that Mr Trump was mulling a partnership with existing app vendors to develop his own platform.
An app named FreeSpace was reported by the outlet to be the frontrunner.
FreeSpace, which launched on Apple and Google’s app stores on February 1, includes many of the features of established social media networks.
The platform allows users to create personal profiles, has a public “Activity Wall” and “rooms” for group messaging.
Senior Trump adviser Jason Miller told Fox News that the former president would be back online within two to three months on his own platform.
“I do think we’re going to see President Trump returning to social media in probably about two or three months here with his own platform,” Mr Miller said.
“This is something that I think will be the hottest ticket in social media.”
The service, he continued, would “completely redefine the game.”
Meanwhile, Mr Trump slammed Anthony Fauci and Deborah Birx, accusing the infectious disease experts of “trying to reinvent history” in televised interviews detailing their roles in combating the coronavirus pandemic.
Mr Trump spoke out after Dr Fauci and Dr Birx, who both served as key members of his administration’s coronavirus task force, were interviewed for a CNN special titled “COVID WAR: The Pandemic Doctors Speak Out.”
During the special, Dr Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, described the push to develop a COVID-19 vaccine as “the best decision that I’ve ever made with regard to an intervention as director of the institute.”
Dr Birx, the former White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator, said she had a “very difficult” phone call with Mr Trump after she spoke candidly about the severity of an outbreak last August.
According to Fox News, Mr Trump accused both of his former colleagues of being “self-promoters” in a lengthy statement.
“Based on their interviews, I felt it was time to speak up about Dr Fauci and Dr Birx, two self-promoters trying to reinvent history to cover for their bad instincts and faulty recommendations, which I fortunately almost always overturned,” Mr Trump said.
“They had bad policy decisions that would have left our country open to China and others, closed to reopening our economy, and years away from an approved vaccine — putting millions of lives at risk.”
Mr Trump has long taken credit for the rapid development of COVID-19 vaccines under “Operation Warp Speed,” a partnership between federal agencies and private companies. To date, three vaccines have received emergency use authorisations in the United States.
The former president said Fauci and Birx “moved far too slowly” on vaccine development and touted strict lockdown measures that would leave Americans “locked in our basements.”
Originally published as Facebook removes video interview with Donald Trump
Read related topics:Donald Trump
Join the conversation
Ex-PM says it’s the ‘worst’ time for an Australian Republic
With two wars waging around the world, one former Prime Minister has stressed the importance of Australia remaining in the monarchy.
Read more
Thorpe reveals reason for tirade against King
Controversial senator Lidia Thorpe reveals she had planned to hand a “notice of complicity” to King Charles during a shocking tirade at Parliament’s Great Hall.
Read more