Twitter has blocked a video by President Trump’s campaign team honoring George Floyd, whose recent death at the hands of a Minneapolis policeman has sparked nationwide protests.
Trump’s video, which was posted Thursday and also denounced the rioting and looting seen this past week, was pulled over a copyright claim, according to Twitter. The Trump campaign wasn’t satisfied with that reason, later tweeting the tech giant and its CEO, Jack Dorsey, were “censoring” an “uplifting and unifying message.”
Twitter and @Jack are censoring this uplifting and unifying message from President Trump after the #GeorgeFloyd tragedy.
The same speech the media refused to cover.
Here is the YouTube link.
WATCH AND MAKE IT GO VIRAL: https://t.co/7V72z7JiKm https://t.co/xBgkc1bvPm
— Team Trump (Text TRUMP to 88022) (@TeamTrump) June 4, 2020
Twitter did not immediately respond to TheWrap’s request for comment on which part of the video, in particular, was hit with a copyright claim.
The 3 minute, 45-second video still remains live on YouTube. The video begins with the president’s voice speaking over several pictures of Floyd and video of protests in response to his death.
“The death of George Floyd on the streets of Minneapolis was a grave tragedy. It should never have happened,” Trump says in his voiceover. “It has filled Americans all over the country with anger, horror and grief. We support the right of peaceful protestors, and we hear their pleas.”
Afterwards, the video shows a compilation of shops being destroyed during the last week, with the president saying the memory of Floyd is being “dishonored by rioters, looters and anarchists.” You can watch the full clip here.
Twitter’s copyright flag on the Trump campaign’s tweet — and the campaign’s response — only adds to the growing tension between the president and the company. Last week, Twitter added a fact check notification, for the first time, to a few of Trump’s tweets. The company also put a notification on one of his tweets, saying it broke the company’s rule against “glorifying violence.” In response, the president signed an executive order targeting Section 230, which offers tech companies broad immunity from being sued for what its users post. If Section 230 were changed, companies like Twitter could suddenly face a mountain of legal costs — although legal experts told TheWrap the likelihood its changed remains low.