Trump v Facebook: Ex-president rages at ban as White House says tech has responsibility to public
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The Facebook Oversight Board has upheld the platform’s decision to ban Donald Trump for posts related to the attack on the US Capitol in January by his supporters.
An independent group that reviews the company’s most complex issues, the oversight panel also found that the platform was wrong to ban Mr Trump “indefinitely”, and insists that the company “apply and justify a defined penalty” – giving it six months to review its initial decision.
Mr Trump has reacted to the news with fury, demanding that “these corrupt social media companies must pay a political price”.
For its part, the White House says that social media companies have a responsibility to combat the spread of misinformation.
“The president’s view is that the major platforms have a responsibility related to the health and safety of all Americans to stop amplifying untrustworthy content, misinformation, disinformation – especially related to Covid-19, vaccines and elections,” press secretary Jen Psaki said on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Liz Cheney’s days in the House GOP leadership look to be numbered, with her immediate senior Steve Scalise officially coming out against her.
Mr Trump released another statement attacking Ms Cheney as throwing his support behind Elise Stefanik as the new party conference chair.
- Facebook is investigating two Trump posts - there are thousands of others they could have banned him over
- Who is on the Facebook oversight board and who have they banned?
- What did Trump post to get himself banned from Facebook and will he be reinstated?
- ‘He’s launched ... a blog’: Donald Trump mocked for new ‘communications platform’
Social media interactions about Trump dropped 91 per cent since January
Axios reports that social media interactions about former president Donald Trump have fallen 91 per cent since January, according to data from NewsWhip.
While Mr Trump was a focus of the news beyond his ban from social media and his last days in office, once his second impeachment was over, Americans’ consumption of media about him collapsed.
Millions of tenants at risk as federal judge blocks CDC eviction moratorium
A federal judge has ruled that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not have the legal authority to impose a nationwide moratorium on evictions during the coronavirus pandemic, an order established under Donald Trump’s administration and extended by Joe Biden.
The Justice Department is reviewing the case.
Alex Woodward reports.
Federal judge blocks CDC eviction moratorium as millions of tenants at risk
A federal judge has ruled that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does not have the legal authority to impose a nationwide moratorium on evictions during the coronavirus pandemic, an order established under Donald Trump’s administration and extended by Joe Biden.
Barbara Comstock warns fellow female Republicans about being party’s ‘handmaiden'
Former representative Barbara Comstock warned fellow female Republicans about being a “handmaiden” to the party in its efforts to oust Liz Cheney as conference chair.
In an appearance on CNN’s New Day, Ms Comstock said: “All Liz Cheney did is say what Attorney General Bill Barr said, that there wasn’t election fraud. She would not embrace the big lie.”
“I think this is a mistake. It’s a bad message,” she added. “I say ‘whoa’ to any woman who wants to be a handmaiden to this and to get a leadership spot on the heels of really something that is unseemly. To embrace the big lie.”
AOC rips Ted Cruz for post of dinner with Trump
Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez mocked Ted Cruz for his post today showing him having dinner with Donald Trump.
The Texas senator wrote that the former president was in great spirits and they apparently talked about working together to retake the House and Senate in 2022.
Ms Ocasio-Cortez reposted the tweet with the wry comment: “Nothing like reminiscing about attempted coups over a bouquet of flowers.”
The emojis she included are two Japanese ogres.
Biden’s evolving view of Republican Party
Matt Viser of The Washington Post notes the evolving view of the Republican Party through the eyes of President Joe Biden.
Trump children still costing taxpayers
The children of Donald Trump are continuing to cost US taxpayers hundreds of thousands a month for travel, a government watchdog group has found.
US Secret Service agents filed $140,000 (£100,000) in receipts for travelling with Eric, Ivanka and Donald Trump Jr in February, according to the watchdog CREW (Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington).
The figure was for the first month after the former president’s departure from Washington DC, and does not refer to any Secret Service fees incurred at Trump businesses.
Gino Spocchia has more.
Here’s how Trump’s children are still costing taxpayers money
The former president’s children have been busy traveling since Trump left office
‘History will not be kind’ to Bill Barr
The US Department of Justice has been ordered to release a memo that former US Attorney General William Barr used to avoid prosecuting Donald Trump for obstruction of justice following an investigation by special counsel Robert Mueller.
US District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson accused Mr Barr of being “disingenuous” about his assessment of Mr Mueller’s findings and found that the Justice Department’s obfuscations misled the public and Congress about the investigation
Alex Woodward reports.
Democrat says ‘history will not be kind’ to Bill Barr for protecting Trump following Mueller memo ruling
‘Disingenuous’ former AG and DOJ misled Congress and courts, judge finds
Biden: ‘Mini-revolution’ in Republican Party
“It seems as though the Republican Party is trying to identify what it stands for,” says Joe Biden. “I think Republicans are further away from trying to figure out who they are and what they stand for than I thought they would be at this point.”
The president referred to what is going on in the GOP as a “mini-revoluton”.
He also reacted to Mitch McConnell saying that “100%” of his focus is on stopping this administration: “He said that about the last administration — about Barack, that he was going to stop everything.”
US to support vaccine IP waiver proposal
US Trade Representative Katherine Tai says in a statement that the US supports vaccine patent waivers.
“The administration believes strongly in intellectual property protections, but in service of ending this pandemic, supports the waiver of those protections for Covid-19 vaccines,” she said.
Biden bemused by GOP infighting over Liz Cheney
President Joe Biden expressed bemusement on Wednesday over the ongoing conflict between US Rep Liz Cheney and rank-and-file Republican members of Congress.
“I don’t understand the Republicans,” Mr Biden told reporters when when asked about the internal dispute in the GOP.
Clara Hill reports for The Independent.
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