(PresidentialWire.com)-President Donald Trump made it very clear on Thursday that he wants to see congressional Republicans repeal legal protections for social media giants who engage in anti-conservative bias. The president reiterated that Republicans must finally take action on Section 230, which protects Twitter, Facebook, and other social media platforms on the basis that they are platforms, not publishers.
In a new tweet, the president said that Republican Senators were getting “cold feet” about making the bold decision to withdraw those legal protections, which the president has long said need to be reformed or removed to stop conservatives being silenced online.
“Looks like certain Republican Senators are getting cold feet with respect to the termination of Big Tech’s Section 230, a National Security and Election Integrity MUST,” the president tweeted.
Looks like certain Republican Senators are getting cold feet with respect to the termination of Big Tech’s Section 230, a National Security and Election Integrity MUST. For years, all talk, no action. Termination must be put in Defense Bill!!!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 3, 2020
“For years, all talk, not action. Termination must be put in Defense Bill!!!” he continued.
It follows other tweets by the president in which he threatened to veto a new defense bill unless it included a provision to terminate Section 230.
…..Therefore, if the very dangerous & unfair Section 230 is not completely terminated as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), I will be forced to unequivocally VETO the Bill when sent to the very beautiful Resolute desk. Take back America NOW. Thank you!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 2, 2020
“…if the very dangerous & unfair Section 230 is not completely terminated as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), I will be forced to unequivocally VETO the Bill when sent to the very beautiful Resolute desk,” he said.
This week, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany told the press that the president is “serious” about vetoing the bill if it doesn’t include a provision to send Section 230.
Under the legislation, social media giants are granted special legal protections meaning they are not held legally liable for the content published by users. However, the regular anti-conservative bias expressed by the platforms, including the permanent expulsion of users for saying things that liberals don’t agree with or support, means that they behave more like publishers than they do platforms.
“He is going to put pressure on Congress to step up on this,” McEnany said.
If the president succeeds, it could be one of the last things he does as president – presuming that Joe Biden does ultimately win the election. It would also have a long-lasting effect on how people interact online, protecting conservatives from social media platforms that are increasingly hostile to non-liberal views.
