Sacha Baron Cohen’s first tweets in the New Year are calling on social media platforms to ban PresidentDonald Trump.
“Hey Mark Zuckerberg, [Jack Dorsey], [Susan Wojcicki], and [Sundar Pichai], Donald Trump just incited a violent attack on American democracy. Is that FINALLY enough for you to act?! It’s time to ban Donald Trump from your platforms once and for all!” Baron Cohen’sfirst tweet read.
The mob wasphotographedscaling the building’s walls, breaking windows, roaming through the building, looting and vandalizing, including incongressional chambers and lawmaker offices. Rioters alsoripped an American flag off of a flagpoleoutside the Capitol building and attempted to replace it with a Trump flag.
Rachel Luna/Getty Images; MANDEL NGAN/AFP via Getty Images
In response to the violence, Trump released a recorded speech where he told his supporters, “we love you, you’re very special,” and doubled down on the baseless claims of election fraud before telling rioters occupying the Capitol building, “we have to have peace, so go home.”
“Facebook and Twitter giving Trumpa little time out is NOT ENOUGH. Trump instigated an act of domestic terrorism against America,” Baron Cohen responded to the temporary lock. “Facebook and Twitter have banned other extremists PERMANENTLY. They must ban Trump PERMANENTLY. NOW!”
He lateradded in a tweet on Thursday, “Today is a chance to change social media forever. Tell Mark Zuckerberg and [Jack Dorsey] – Facebook and Twitter have spread Trump’s lies and hate and helped radicalize the extremists who attacked the Capitol. Suspending Trump for a few hours is NOT ENOUGH!”
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On Thursday afternoon,Facebook officially announcedthat it would be blocking Trump from posting on Facebook and Instagram until after the transition of power on 20 January.
“The shocking events of the last 24 hours clearly demonstrate that President Donald Trump intends to use his remaining time in office to undermine the peaceful and lawful transition of power to his elected successor, Joe Biden,” Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote in a post on Facebook. “His decision to use his platform to condone rather than condemn the actions of his supporters at the Capitol building has rightly disturbed people in the US and around the world. We removed these statements yesterday because we judged that their effect – and likely their intent – would be to provoke further violence.”
Rioters at the U.S. Capitol building on Jan. 6.Jon Cherry/Getty Images
“We believe the risks of allowing the President to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great,” Zuckerberg concluded. “Therefore, we are extending the block we have placed on his Facebook and Instagram accounts indefinitely and for at least the next two weeks until the peaceful transition of power is complete.”
Baron Cohenapplauded Facebook in a tweet after hearing the news. “FINALLY–Facebook suspends Trump ‘indefinitely’! The dam is breaking. Every social media company, every online platform, every advertiser has a choice: Stand with Trump and the domestic terrorists who attacked the Capitol Or stand for democracy,” he wrote.
While the 12-hour ban on Trump’s Twitter has expired, the president has not tweeted since. Instead, Trump issued a statement via Dan Scavino, White House director of social media, announcing that heofficially agreed to an “orderly” transitionon Jan. 20 while still saying he disagrees “with the outcome of the election” and referencing his baseless claims of voter fraud.
source: people.com
