05 June 2020

President Trump spokesman accuses Twitter of censoring him after George Floyd tribute is removed due to copyright complaint

A spokesman for Donald Trump has slammed Twitter for censoring an ’uplifting and unifying message’ after the President’s campaign team had a post relating to George Floyd removed from the site.

The tweet, which contained a video paying tribute to the American whose death has sparked widespread protests and riots, was taken down due to a copyright complaint.

Jack Dorsey is the CEO and co-founder of Twitter (ABACA/PA Images)

It had been retweeted by Trump and his son Donald Jr before being taken down, with the caption to the video reading: "We are working toward a more just society, but that means building up, not tearing down. 

“Joining hands, not hurling fists. Standing in solidarity, not surrendering to hostility."

But Andrew Clark, a spokesperson for the 73-year-old President, did not take kindly to the censoring of Trump’s team’s Twitter content.

Speaking to The Hill, he said: "This incident is yet another reminder that Twitter is making up the rules as they go along.

"From the dubious removal of the hilarious Nickelback video to capricious fact checks and manipulated media labels to questionable claims of copyright, Twitter has repeatedly failed to explain why their rules seem to only apply to the Trump campaign but not to others.

“Censoring out the president’s important message of unity around the George Floyd protests is an unfortunate escalation of this double standard."

Protests have swept across the US since the death of George Floyd on May 25 (SIPA USA/PA Images)

The 45th President hit back by announcing an executive order to confine the amount of protection social media sites have over the content posted on their sites.

He then had a run in with the online titan once more when a tweet which read ’When the looting starts, the shooting starts’ was hidden due to its explicit nature.

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