Bernie Sanders says he doesn’t ‘feel comfortable’ with Trump Twitter ban

'I don't like giving that much power to a handful of high tech people,' said Sanders

Mar 25, 2021

Senator Bernie Sanders said on The Ezra Klein Show that he did not “feel comfortable” about then-President Donald Trump being banned from Twitter.

In response to a question about whether or not liberals had become “too censorious” by holding politicians accountable with consequences, Sanders denounced Trump.

“Look, you have a former president in Trump, who is a racist, a sexist, a homophobe, a xenophobe, a pathological liar, an authoritarian, somebody who doesn’t believe in the rule of law. This is a bad news guy,” he said.

“But if you’re asking me, do I feel particularly comfortable that the President, the then-President of the United States could not express his views on Twitter? I don’t feel comfortable about that,” Sanders continued.

Sanders, an Independent, said that the internet shouldn’t spread hate speech and conspiracy theories and that it shouldn’t be used for “authoritarian purposes and insurrection.” Trump’s account was suspended after the violent insurrection on January 6 which left 5 people dead and 140 Capitol Police officers injured.

In this Sept. 29, 2019 photo, Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., pauses while speaking at a campaign event at Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H. Sanders’ campaign said Wednesday the Democratic presidential candidate has had a heart procedure for a blocked artery and that he’s canceling events and appearances “until further notice.” (AP Photo/ Cheryl Senter)

Yet, Sanders also said that he doesn’t know how to find a balance between the good and the bad on the platform. But that, “it is an issue that we have got to be thinking about.”

“So I don’t like giving that much power to a handful of high tech people. But the devil is obviously in the details and it’s something we’re going to have to think long and hard on, and that is how you preserve First Amendment rights without moving this country into a big lie mentality and conspiracy theories,” Sanders said.

Trump was permanently suspended from Twitter on January 8 because he “violated the company’s policy against the glorification of violence.”

Twitter has said that even if Trump runs for president again in 2024 and wins, his account will not be reinstated.

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