Twitter bans Trump permanently, citing risk of incitement
WASHINGTON - Twitter says it is banning President Donald Trump from its platform, citing "risk of further incitement of violence."
The social media giant said Friday: "After close review of recent tweets from the @realDonaldTrump account and the context around them - specifically how they are being received and interpreted on and off Twitter - we have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence."
Trump was locked out of his account on his preferred social medial platform for 12 hours earlier this week after a violent mob loyal to him stormed the U.S. Capitol to try to stop Congress from affirming President-elect Joe Biden's victory.
Trump posted a video on Twitter calling them "very special" people and saying he loved them. Five people died, including a Capitol Police officer.
A video of Trump appearing to concede the election to Joe Biden and promising an orderly transfer of power, as well as calling for peace and reconciliation, appeared on his account Thursday night.
The rampage that has shocked the world and left the country on edge has forced the resignations of three top Capitol security officials over the failure to stop the breach. It's also led lawmakers to demand a review of operations and an FBI briefing over what they called a "terrorist attack." And it's prompting a broader reckoning over Trump's tenure in office and what comes next for a torn nation.
Twitter also has banned President Donald Trump's former national security adviser Michael Flynn and pro-Trump attorney Sidney Powell as part of a purge of QAnon accounts.
Social media companies have been under intensified pressure to crack down on hate speech after Wednesday's attack on the Capitol. Dozens of QAnon social media accounts were hyping up Jan. 6 in the days leading up to a Washington, D.C., rally for Trump, expressing hope that President-elect Joe Biden's victory would be overturned.
Twitter said in an email statement Friday: "Given the renewed potential for violence surrounding this type of behavior in the coming days, we will permanently suspend accounts that are solely dedicated to sharing QAnon content."
The company says that when it determines a group or campaign is engaged in "coordinated harmful activity," it may suspend accounts that it finds primarily encourages that behavior.
QAnon is a baseless belief, born on the internet, that Trump has been secretly fighting deep state enemies and a cabal of Satan-worshipping cannibals operating a child sex-trafficking ring.