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- Twitter has locked President Donald Trump’s account after pro-Trump rioters stormed the US Capitol while lawmakers worked to certify the presidential elections.
- The firm said it has removed three tweets and will keep Trump’s account locked until he deletes them. If he doesn’t delete them, his account will remain locked.
- One of those tweets was a video in which Trump told his supporters to “go home, we love you, you’re very special” and failed to condemn their actions.
- Many called for Trump to deescalate the situation, but instead, Trump continued to spout baseless claims that he won the election by a “landslide.”
- Facebook has also removed the video in question.
- Visit Business Insider’s homepage for more stories.
Twitter has locked President Donald Trump’s account after pro-Trump rioters stormed the grounds around the US Capitol before breaching the federal building’s doors.
Twitter has specifically removed three tweets and in their place is a tag reading “This Tweet is no longer available.” Trump’s account will be locked for 12 hours after he removes them. If he does not, the account will remain locked, according to Twitter, and the platform will permanently suspend him upon future violations.
—Twitter Safety (@TwitterSafety) January 7, 2021
One of those tweets was a video of Trump posted earlier today. After pro-Trump rioters had already breached the walls and broke windows, many called upon Trump to quell the violent situation and call for his supporters to retreat.
A recorded video of Trump was released in which he said “go home, we love you, you are very special.” But the majority of the video contained more baseless claims about election fraud, and Trump declared that he won in a “landslide.” Trump did not condemn the violent actions of his supporters.
Twitter did not immediately respond to Business Insider’s request for comment.
There is no evidence that the 2020 presidential election was fraudulent, and the Electoral College confirmed in December that Trump indeed lost and that Biden would be sworn in on January 20.
Facebook has removed the video in question, according to Facebook Integrity Vice President Guy Rosen, who tweeted around 2:45 p.m. PT that the firm "removed it because on balance we believe it contributes to rather than diminishes the risk of ongoing violence."
Twitter users earlier today called for the company to suspend Trump's account, which he has used as his de facto mouthpiece throughout his presidency, following his supporters' violent actions at the Capitol. But Trump enjoys certain protections as a world leader since Twitter perceives what he has to say as being in the public interest, even if they violate guidelines. When President-elect Joe Biden takes office, Trump will lose those privileges, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey has said.
Thousands of Trump supporters took to the Capitol grounds Wednesday with flags and chants as officials worked to certify the election results. But when some violently breached the doors and began breaking windows, lawmakers and Vice President Mike Pence were evacuated.
The rioters roamed the halls of the Capitol, including one who sat at and propped his feet upon Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi's desk.
Multiple police officers were seen leaving the building with injuries, and a woman who was shot in the chest has died.
Multiple Republicans, including Senator Mitt Romney and President George W. Bush, have decried the violent group's actions.
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