Twitter placed one of President Donald Trump’s tweets behind a click-through wall Tuesday, saying it violated a policy against “abusive behavior.”
“There will never be an ‘Autonomous Zone’ in Washington, D.C., as long as I’m your President,” Trump tweeted Tuesday morning, referring to a self-declared police-free zone set up in Seattle by protesters in the wake of protests in that city over racism and police tactics. “If they try they will be met with serious force!”
The tweet itself now bears a badge that says, “This Tweet violated the Twitter Rules about abusive behavior. However, Twitter has determined that it may be in the public’s interest for the Tweet to remain accessible.”
Twitter’s official account also responded to the tweet, placing it behind an opt-in viewing screen.
“We’ve placed a public interest notice on this Tweet for violating our policy against abusive behavior, specifically, the presence of a threat of harm against an identifiable group,” the statement said. “Per our policies, this Tweet will remain on the service given its relevance to ongoing public conversation. Engagements with the Tweet will be limited. People will be able to Retweet with Comment, but not Like, Reply, or Retweet it.”
This was not the first time Twitter has cracked down on one of the president’s tweets. Citing its “rules about glorifying violence,” at the end of May Twitter placed a content warning on an angry tweet by Trump that appeared to threaten the use of violence against rioters in Minneapolis.