Trump Circumvents Twitter Ban: Decries 'Assault on Free Speech'

In the wake of a widespread removal from Twitter and several other online platforms following last week’s events at the Capitol involving his supporters, President Trump released a statement via a video posted on Twitter, addressing the “situation at the Capitol” as well as his removal from these services.

Within the video, Trump urged his followers to reject violence, characterizing it as contrary to American ideals. He stated, “No genuine supporter of mine would ever support political violence,” a statement made several days after he had previously referred to the individuals involved in the Capitol breach as “great patriots” and expressed his affection for them while they were disrupting proceedings in the House and Senate.

After a short period, he shifted his focus to a subject that is likely of significant concern to him, especially following his second impeachment: his suspension from Twitter, his primary means of communication with the public.

“I would also like to comment on the unprecedented restriction of free expression that we have witnessed in recent days,” he explained, despite the fact that the bans and other actions taken were a result of violations of the platforms’ established policies. “The attempts to suppress, cancel, and block fellow citizens are incorrect and pose a threat. What is required now is for us to engage in dialogue with each other, rather than attempting to silence one another.”

Following the suspension of his @realdonaldtrump account, Trump attempted to use alternative accounts belonging to associates, but these efforts were quickly blocked. Expectations that he would join Parler were dashed as the social network itself faced potential permanent shutdown after Amazon and other internet service providers declined to provide hosting services.

Those following the situation may be curious as to how Trump was able to publish this particular message despite the comprehensive ban.

Twitter explained to TechCrunch:

Essentially, while Trump as an individual was banned, Trump in his capacity as the leader of the Executive branch might still retain a limited right, during the remaining days of his term, to use Twitter to convey important information to the American public.

This situation creates a somewhat unfavorable perception, as Twitter has placed itself in the position of deciding what constitutes a legitimate communication and what amounts to inciting unrest or violence. A request for clarification regarding the criteria used to determine whether Trump’s activity on this account constitutes a circumvention of the ban has been submitted to the company.

Concurrently with Trump’s unexpected tweet, Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey shared a series of 13 tweets expressing his thoughts on the matter:

Dorsey did not arrive at any definitive conclusions or outline any new strategies, but it is evident that he is deeply considering the implications of these events. As he pointed out, however, substantial effort will be needed to achieve his vision of “one humanity working together,” which he views as an ambitious goal for Twitter and the internet as a whole.