Bulletins

Trump backs down from Big Tech fight

Last week, Trump issued a statement decrying his ban from Twitter.

President Trump in front of American flags

"What is needed now is for us to listen to one another, not to silence one another," the president said.

Photo: Brian Blanco/Getty Images

President Trump on Wednesday pulled punches in his fight against Big Tech, shying away from naming Twitter, Google and Facebook directly as he vaguely denounced "censorship" four minutes into a video posted Wednesday night.

After condemning the violence by his supporters on Capitol Hill last week, he pivoted to addressing the "unprecedented assault on free speech we have seen in recent days," seemingly a reference to his suspensions from every major social media platform.

"The efforts to censor, cancel and blacklist our fellow citizens are wrong and they are dangerous," Trump said. "What is needed now is for us to listen to one another, not to silence one another."

Last week, Trump issued a statement decrying his ban from Twitter, pledging he would take action against the platforms soon and would not be "SILENCED." He pledged a "big announcement" soon.

Those threats have not yet materialized.

Emily Birnbaum

Emily Birnbaum ( @birnbaum_e) is a former tech policy reporter with Protocol. Her coverage focuses on the U.S. government's attempts to regulate one of the most powerful industries in the world, with a focus on antitrust, privacy and politics. Previously, she worked as a tech policy reporter with The Hill after spending several months as a breaking news reporter. She is a Bethesda, Maryland native and proud Kenyon College alumna.

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