Nigel Farage says it is “crazy” that Donald Trump was banned from Twitter but the radical Islamic extremist Taliban remained on the platform even as it stormed Kabul.
Discussing South Africa-born Tesla tycoon Elon Musk’s reported purchase of the microblogging platform Twitter with investigative journalist Tom Bower on his GB News show, Farage welcomed the change as at least a potential win for freedom of speech online.
“I’ll tell you this, Twitter is not the real world and I get that,” the Brexit leader said in response to a viewer’s question.
“But so much of what you read in newspapers, see on television, and hear on radio comes through Twitter — the opinion-formers, the journalists, they are addicted to Twitter, and therefore if Musk is successful in turning Twitter into a genuine beacon of free speech…” he continued, trailing off and launching into an aside about the previous U.S. President.
“Whatever you think of him the idea that Trump was banned from Twitter whilst the Taliban were on Twitter the day they took Kabul is crazy,” he said, earning Bower’s approval.
The fact that “the left are screaming blue murder” about the purchase proves that Musk’s concerns about free speech on the platform are correct, Bower said, with Farage condemning such people as “the illiberal liberals”.
Twitter permanently banned Donald Trump, then still the sitting U.S. President, in January 2021, due to “the risk of further incitement of violence.”
Specifically, the Silicon Valley corporation highlighted a tweets in which he said the “75,000,000 great American Patriots who voted for me, AMERICA FIRST, and MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, will have a GIANT VOICE long into the future. They will not be disrespected or treated unfairly in any way, shape or form!!!” and “To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th.”
“We assessed the two Tweets referenced above under our Glorification of Violence policy, which aims to prevent the glorification of violence that could inspire others to replicate violent acts and determined that they were highly likely to encourage and inspire people to replicate the criminal acts that took place at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021,” they explained, suggesting that “[t]he second Tweet may… serve as encouragement to those potentially considering violent acts that the Inauguration would be a ‘safe’ target, as he will not be attending.”
“The use of the words ‘American Patriots’ to describe some of his supporters is also being interpreted as support for those committing violent acts at the US Capitol.”
These and other somewhat dubious justifications for banning Trump on ground of “glorifying violence” outlined in Twitter’s statement on the banning contrasts with the behaviour of the Taliban, which actively waged war on a U.S.-backed government using suicide bombers and child soldiers, among other disturbing tactics.
The Russian government also remains on Twitter amid its forces ongoing war on Ukraine.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.