| Dear Katy, Twitter has recently cracked down on some groups using its platform to "promote violence against civilians to further their causes," but is still absurdly insisting that Donald Trump is not violating its terms of service, even in the wake of Trump tweeting this on Jan. 2: "North Korean Leader Kim Jong Un just stated that the "Nuclear Button is on his desk at all times." Will someone from his depleted and food starved regime please inform him that I too have a Nuclear Button, but it is a much bigger & more powerful one than his, and my Button works!"1,2 Twitter may make money and get free publicity from letting Trump get away with these dangerous, war-mongering tweets, but the company continues to face enormous pressure to block his account for threats of violence. Threatening nuclear war with North Korea crosses a huge red line – so it is time to add to the pressure. Tell Twitter: Crack down on @RealDonaldTrump. Click here to sign the petition.
This isn't the first time Trump has threatened war on Twitter. In September, he threatened on Twitter that North Korea "won't be around much longer."3 Before that he tweeted: "Military solutions are now fully in place, locked and loaded, should North Korea act unwisely. Hopefully Kim Jong Un will find another path!"4 Like many other Trump tweets, this one clearly violated Twitter's rules and policies against hateful conduct and violent threats.5 This past fall, Trump made international headlines when he retweeted inflammatory and fake Islamophobic videos from an extremist anti-Muslim group in Britain.6 Trump has also repeatedly emboldened violent white supremacists on Twitter by sharing their memes and retweeting their posts to millions of followers. His active promotion of hate mongers helped create the violent atmosphere of racism that led to a woman's death in Charlottesville, Virginia in August.7 Twitter's coddling of Donald Trump could have deadly consequences. Trump has a history of setting official government policy via tweet. If he spouts off without thinking, makes a disastrous typo – or if his account were to be hacked – the result could be nuclear war. Despite the possible repercussions and Trump's repeated violations, Twitter has yet to act. It is not too much to ask for Twitter to ensure that White House staff verify any Trump tweets before they are posted. Or, Twitter could stop coddling white supremacists and authoritarians and follow through on its own terms of service by revoking Trump's account. Tell Twitter: Crack down on @RealDonaldTrump. Click here to sign the petition. Donald Trump has used his Twitter account to wreak havoc on enemies real and imagined. He has directed armies of internet trolls against journalists, public figures and anyone who draws his ire. His tweets about government policy have caused multibillion dollar changes in the market caps of major corporations. Last summer, he sent a series of tweets announcing a decision to ban transgender Americans from the military despite not having consulted with the military first.8 If his account tweeted that he had ordered a military strike – whether it was from his own thumbs or because the account had been hacked – countless American lives could be lost before cooler heads prevail. Twitter has more than enough reason to revoke Trump's account based on its own rules. It must either do so or institute immediate safeguards, or all of us could pay the price.
Tell Twitter: Crack down on @RealDonaldTrump. Click the link below to sign the petition. https://act.credoaction.com/sign/Twitter_Dangerous/?t=8&akid=26877%2E12967895%2ERwGcEV Thank you for speaking out, Kaili Lambe, Director of Organizing
CREDO Action from Working Assets Add your name: References: - David Pierson, "Twitter appears to explain why it hasn't banned President Trump," Los Angeles Times, Jan 5, 2018.
- Harper Neidig, "Twitter says Trump's North Korea tweet doesn't violate terms of service," The Hill, Jan. 3, 2018.
- Zachary Cohen, "North Korea accuses Trump of declaring war," CNN, Sept. 25, 2017.
- Jack Moore, "Donald Trump's Twitter Account Is Very Much in Violation of Twitter's Terms of Service," GQ, Aug. 11, 2017.
- Ibid.
- Alanna Petroff, "Twitter suspends Britain First account that Trump retweeted," CNN, Dec. 18, 2017.
- Judd Legum, "3 White Supremacists On Twitter That Inspire Donald Trump," ThinkProgress, July 3, 2016.
- Moore, "Donald Trump's Twitter Account Is Very Much in Violation of Twitter's Terms of Service."
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