Twitter Tags Trump Tweet On Minneapolis Riots With “Glorifying Violence” Warning

Update (1000ET): It appears Twitter has also added its controversial tag to a verbatim copy of  a Trump tweet sent by the official White House account.

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Update (0710ET): Trump has responded to Twitter’s latest tag, accusing the company of “doing nothing” to censure Chinese officials and members of the radical left – which is why, Trump insisted, Section 230 should no longer apply to the company.

Twitter is doing nothing about all of the lies & propaganda being put out by China or the Radical Left Democrat Party. They have targeted Republicans, Conservatives & the President of the United States. Section 230 should be revoked by Congress. Until then, it will be regulated!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 29, 2020

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As we wait for the first of the inevitable flood of lawsuits challenging Trump’s latest executive order, Twitter has continued with its new policy of affixing ‘warning labels’ on certain tweets from the president that violate the company’s “community standards”. Just this morning, Twitter affixed a “glorifying violence” warning to a Trump tweet decrying the outburst of violence in Minneapolis in retaliation for the brutal slaying of George Floyd.

We have placed a public interest notice on this Tweet from @realdonaldtrump. https://t.co/6RHX56G2zt

— Twitter Comms (@TwitterComms) May 29, 2020

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The tweet was part of a thread published late Thursday evening by the president where he accused the “weak” mayor of Minneapolis of not doing enough to quell the riots. Trump threatened to send in the National Guard – in our view, a completely reasonable response, though some hysterical leftists might decry the decision as part of some genocidal plot or whatever other hysterical nonsense they’re spewing to try and justify the riots – to stop the “THUGS who are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen.”

….These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 29, 2020

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Twitter, of course, continues to deny allegations of partisan bias, even though the political dynamics at play here are blindingly obvious. The media clearly isn’t comfortable with President Trump’s “new approach” to police killings, and has chosen, seemingly with one voice, to sympathize with the rioters, as if their actions will somehow alleviate the pain and suffering endured by the victim’s family, or will somehow correct the widespread racial injustice they have fingered as the animus behind Floyd’s murder.

Of course, the media has found a racist connection to the language used by Trump.

According to Buzzfeed, the phrase “when the looting starts, the shooting starts” has a not-so-secret racist history. In 1967, Miami Police Chief Walter Headley used it to describe how his department handled looting in black neighborhoods.

“When the looting starts, the shooting starts,” is a threat coined by Miami Police Chief Walter Headley, who promised violent reprisals on black protesters in 1967. He also said: “We don’t mind being accused of police brutality. They haven’t seen anything yet.” https://t.co/inm7T4N804 pic.twitter.com/yfYY59Xfel

— Todd Zwillich (@toddzwillich) May 29, 2020

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It all ties together nicely: All the clues the public needs to see that the sympathy Trump has expressed for Floyd and his family is really just an act during an extremely precarious time – politically speaking – for the president, and that he is, essentially still the same president who described the “literal Nazis” at Charlottesville as “very fine people”.

Earlier this week, Twitter labeled a Trump tweet about mail-in ballots as misleading, infuriating the White House and directly provoking the executive order signed last night. In a statement about the label, Twitter said that while the tweet will remain up, users won’t be able to like, reply or retweet it – though they will be allowed to retweet it with comment.

“We’ve taken action in the interest of preventing others from being inspired to commit violent acts, but have kept the Tweet on Twitter because it is important that the public still be able to see the Tweet given its relevance to ongoing matters of public importance,” the company said.

Also, CEO Jack Dorsey had a direct hand in crafting the company’s response to the tweet, according to Twitter PR.