Twitter Deletes Trump’s Tweets Showing ‘Misleading’ Clip On COVID ‘Cure’
Image via Evan El-Amin / Shutterstock.com
President Donald Trump defended the doctor who claimed that hydroxychloroquine was a “cure” for coronavirus in a series of tweets, which were subsequently taken down by Twitter.
During a tweeting spree last Monday, Trump retweeted a video of Dr Stella Immanuel claiming the drug works in battling the virus which has killed over 150,000 Americans. The clip was published by media outlet Breibart News and it showed Immanuel and others calling themselves “America’s Frontline Doctors.”
She claimed that the anti-malaria drug was effective in treating coronavirus and slammed “fake doctors” who doubted this. She added that the drug was the “cure” and that “you don’t need a mask.”
Trump shared the video of her speech twice, but the clip was taken down by Twitter, who cited a violation of the platform’s misinformation policy.
Trump also retweeted posts that support the controversial drug, despite medical practitioners warning about it not being helpful in combatting the virus.
Immanuel’s video on Facebook has also been taken down for the same reason as Twitter’s. A Twitter spokesperson told CNN, “We’re taking action in line with our COVID misinfo policy,” while a Facebook spokesperson said, “We’ve removed this video for sharing false information about cures and treatments for Covid-19. [Facebook] is showing messages in News Feed to people who have reacted to, commented on or shared harmful COVID-19-related misinformation that we have removed, connecting them to myths debunked by the WHO.”
Twitter has also temporarily banned Donald Trump Jr. from tweeting after the president’s son was caught sharing “potentially harmful information.”
Trump Jr. posted a link to a viral video of a doctor claiming that people “don’t need masks” to slow the spread of coronavirus and making false claims about a “cure” to coronavirus.
A spokesperson for Twitter said it had temporarily limited some of Trump Jr.’s account features for up to 12 hours.
Andrew Surabian, Trump Jr.’s spokesperson, posted an image of the notice to Twitter, lamenting, “Big Tech is the biggest threat to free expression in America today & they're continuing to engage in open election interference.”
Trump Jr.’s account was restricted after he posted a video of the doctor claiming that hydroxychloroquine “cures” coronavirus,” calling the speech a “must watch.”
can‘t wait for twitter to delete this video again. stupid mf we are never gonna take your planned vaccine ;) AND NO I DON‘T GIVE A F* IF TRUMP RECOMMENDED THIS MONTHS AGO! THIS IS NOT ABOUT POLITICS ITS ABOUT OUR HEALTH!!#Hydroxychloroquin #Hydroxychloroquinecures #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/OUeI4lfaGb
— exchange (@marik_ic) July 28, 2020
BREAKING: @Twitter & @jack have suspended @DonaldJTrumpJr for posting a viral video of medical doctors talking about Hydroxychloroquine.
— Andrew Surabian (@Surabees) July 28, 2020
Big Tech is the biggest threat to free expression in America today & they're continuing to engage in open election interference - full stop. pic.twitter.com/7dJbauq43O
Donald Trump Jr. has been suspended from Twitter for sharing a video of a press conference held by a group of doctors yesterday talking about the benefits of hydroxychloroquine for coronavirus patients.
— Mark Dice (@MarkDice) July 28, 2020
Facebook and YouTube are also working ovetime to censor the video.
[via Indy100, CNN, opening image via Evan El-Amin / Shutterstock.com]
