In a blow to rightwing shitposters everywhere, Facebook announced on Wednesday that Donald Trump will continue to be banned from the social media platform as well as Instagram, saying that the ban was “justified” as he had “created an environment where a serious risk of violence was possible.” Now do something about my friend who is an anti-vaxxer, please!
But the future of the ban is up in the air. Via the New York Times:
But the board also said that Facebook’s penalty of an indefinite suspension was “not appropriate,” and that the company should apply a “defined penalty.” The board gave Facebook six months to determine its final decision on Mr. Trump’s account status.
As Politico noted before the continuation of the ban was announced, the ban hits Trump where it hurts the most—in his pocketbook and possible campaign (ugh!) coffers:
Should the suspension be dropped, Trump and his campaign committee could begin posting again to more than 32 million followers. He can also begin running ads. And while GOP operatives are gaming out just what it would mean to give back the former president a powerful media bullhorn, the real impact, they say, will be seen in dollar signs. A return to Facebook would open major fundraising spigots that further cement Trump’s hold on the Republican Party, protecting his massive grassroots donor network from potential rivals.
While rumors have spread for months that Trump would create his own social media platform in response to being banned from Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube for inciting violence, on Tuesday, he launched a…. website that allows his fans to share links to his missives on Facebook and Twitter. In a video on his website, he describes his website as a “beacon of freedom” and a “place to speak freely and safely.”