Twitter flags incendiary Trump tweet for glorifying violence
Corporate chains, storefront businesses, and a police station were hollowed out or set on fire by protestors in Minneapolis last night after an unarmed Black man, George Floyd, died at the hands of city police officers on Monday. President Donald Trump weighed in early Friday morning via his Twitter account.
After attacking the city’s “very weak Radical Left Mayor,” Trump said, “These thugs are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen. Just spoke to [Minnesota] Governor Tim Waltz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!”
Twitter, which has been taking steps to temper the president’s frequent bursts of misinformation and outright lies as of late, responded by labeling the tweet a violation of the “Twitter Rules about glorifying violence.” Twitter also removed users’ ability to like or reply to the tweet.
In a statement released last night, Twitter said the tweet “violates our policies regarding the glorification of violence based on the historical context of the last line, its connection to violence, and the risk it could inspire similar actions today.”