Donald Trump hosted a big event yesterday at the White House. He called it the Social Media Summit, and instead of a hard-hitting, open-source discussion about how social media can stop the spread of racism, violence, bigotry, hate and bullying, Trump of course made the event about how he really believes Twitter is “banning” people from following him or liking his tweets. Instead of a summit focused on how Russian intelligence operations use social media platforms to stoke ignorance, conspiracies and lies all to create a pro-Trump echo chamber, instead we got Diamond and Silk at the White House, talking about how no platform really wants them to spread their lies and bullsh-t freely. We also got this quote from Trump, which sums up life in 2019: “I’m actually a good speller, but everyone said the fingers aren’t as good as the brain.” But wait, there’s more (via Politico):
President Donald Trump told loyal social media personalities and lawmakers at a White House summit Thursday that he intends to push government action against Silicon Valley, as he railed against tech companies over allegations of anti-conservative bias. Trump also pledged to hold “a big meeting of the companies in a week or two” as a follow-up. No social media platforms were invited to Thursday’s summit, but Trump didn’t refrain from slamming them.
“We have terrible bias. We have censorship like no one has any understanding, nobody can believe,” he said. “They’re playing with a lot of minds and they’re playing unfairly.”
He repeatedly revisited the issue, largely tying it to unsubstantiated claims that Twitter makes it impossible for people to follow him. “I know that I’ve been blocked,” the president said, insisting that he’d have millions more Twitter followers than he currently has if Twitter weren’t blocking people from following his account. He also claimed that the number of “likes” on his tweets fluctuate suspiciously. “There’s no doubt in my mind that I should have millions and millions – I have millions of people, so many people I wouldn’t believe it, but I know that we’ve been blocked, People come up to me and they say, ‘Sir, I can’t get you. I can’t follow you.'”
Claims of anti-conservative bias proved the prevailing theme, however, and Trump punctuated his remarks by hugging social media personalities and Trump backers Diamond and Silk and singling out for praise James O’Keefe, whose undercover sting outfit Project Veritas has released what critics say are selectively edited videos depicting organizations ranging from Google to Planned Parenthood as biased and corrupt. “He’s not controversial; he’s truthful,” Trump said of O’Keefe.
James O’Keefe is not truthful or honest or anything other than a con-man and a very dangerous, disturbed individual. He’s exactly the kind of person who should only be “allowed” on social media so the authorities can monitor his activities. All of which to say, Trump and his guests didn’t actually offer any evidence of “bias against conservatives” on social media platforms. And basically, all Trump did was repeatedly talk about how butthurt he is that he doesn’t have more followers and that his tweets don’t get more likes. I mean… it’s pathetic. Incidentally, today I learned that Barack Obama has 107 million followers on Twitter and Trump doesn’t even have 62 million. LMAO. That’s what it’s all about.
The Southern Poverty Law Center referred to this event as “essentially conducting a hate summit at the White House.” Senator Mark Warner (D-VA) tweeted this:
Instead of combatting Russian social media misinformation, punishing anti-competitive practices, or protecting Americans' data and privacy, the President has invited trolls, conspiracy theorists, anti-Semites, and the whole comments section to the White House. Give me a break. https://t.co/uRMloriXuT
— Mark Warner (@MarkWarner) July 11, 2019
Also, here’s something else that’s sort of hilarious: Trump was biased against some of his most hateful and unhinged supporters. He didn’t invite any of his high-profile supporters who have actually been banned from certain platforms for their calls to violence and extreme views. Alex Jones, Laura Loomer, Milo Yiannopoulos and Proud Boys founder Gavin McInnes were not invited. And they were SO MAD about it too. Not mad enough to actually stop supporting Trump, but still.
Photos courtesy of Getty.
Funny, bakeries and businesses like that are allowed to openly discriminate under his watch… but when it comes to f-cking algorithms and rules that companies like Twitter and Google have it’s suddenly not okay?
Maybe they should hire some competent SEO and marketing people if they’re so worried that they’re being suppressed from searches.
Another option is for them to hurl themselves into space, but ya know, either or.
Exactly. They’re allowed to discriminate (because “sincerely held beliefs”) but a private company shuts down their account because they spread racist conspriracy theories and death threats (aka “free speech”) to minorities and liberals and it’s all “woe is me.” What a bunch of snowflakes
Kaiser , you’re correct. This is about Obama having way more followers than Trump. What an ignorant, racist wannabe dictator. As Mark Warner pointed out, instead of focusing on the real social media issues, all Trump Baby did is whine, pout and complain. When will this national embarrassment and nightmare end.
And please don’t show anymore photos of “Diamond and Silk.” It’s sickening seeing such buffoonery. As Harriet Tubman said, “ I could have saved many more, if only they’d known they weren’t free.”
I put Cubic zirconia and Polyester in the same category with Candace Owens-con women who decided there was money to be made by being divisive and “controversial”
They’re soulless grifters just like Trump. Their success is due to the fact that racist Trump-supporters can claim that they’re not because, after all, they support Diamond and Silk and Candace.
I consider them like I do that Piers Morgan guy on the DM. Used to want to check them out and see what their deal was. Don’t need to bother now. Seen enough and what I have seen is repulsive kissing up to Donald and his whole sick and sickening family. How WOMEN (??!!!) and people of color can try to defend this administration is mind boggling to me. Seriously? Just NO. NO NO NO. I hope things will change for us with the next vote! Please?
I sincerely hope Diamond and Silk are doing some elaborate performance art.
I think they’re in this for the money and attention it brings them. Sick.
If you are not already following Frangela, please do. Final Word podcast.
Diamond and silk turns my stomach.
I see the stable genius is off his rockers, he’s been tweeting up a storm, again.
OT: Btw, has anyone seen his son Barron? I have not seen him m in months. . The rumor going around is he treats him like a step child and Tiffany is preggers. Just repeating rumors.
I don’t understand why wife #3 is not getting flack with His behavior, she knows everything he has been doing for years.
Yesterday Trump tweeted that he is great looking. So in addition to dementia, he is also blind.
LOL!
“Tiffany is pregnant” rumours are super gross. She gained some weight. It happens. It’s like those who published photos of Malia smoking pot – these kids don’t deserve harassment. Save it for Donny Jr and Ivanka and those attaching themselves to the decisions of the office.
Tiffany is a grown woman, 25 yo. if she’s pregnant she’s pregnant. We gossip about women on this site every day, why get upset about gossip about Tiffany. I see gossip about the Obamas girls every day, not on this site. I don’t get bent out of shape when I see it. What’s the different between Ivanka and Tiffany?
The only reason Tiffany isn’t part of the cabal is that her siblings block her out. It’s not for lack of trying to insert herself on her part.
Ivanka is an active participant in Trump’s reign of cruelty. Tiffany is a law student. Big difference.
@Meghan, beg to differ. This is a gossip site, there is gossip about Tiffany who is a celebrity and who is the daughter of Don the Con, 25yo. I see her photo on daily mail sunning on yacht with her billionaire boyfriend, all the time. I’m going to gossip about it. I’ve never seen her in school or with books. Sorry, but not sorry.
This is why I could not be a gazillionaire founder of a social media platform. I’d be like “yeah your followers are racist, Nazi pieces of trash and they get banned for posting hate speech. Freedom of speech does not mean freedom from the consequences of that speech. Don’t start no sh!t, won’t be no sh!t. *pause* Any other questions?”
I know!! I have to remind people way too often that the First Amendment only protects you from being jailed or executed by the government- it doesn’t mean your boss can’t fire you for violating protocols.
I want to find this funny, but what it really is, is him laying more groundwork for 2020 so if the election doesn’t go his way, he can say see – you can’t trust anything you’re being told except from me and I’m saying that the you can’t trust these results because the media is lying to you about what they are because of their bias against me.
EXACTLY. He’s spent every day since he was elected laying the groundwork for that shit and this is just the finishing touches.
Did anyone else see that he “jokingly” tweeted how media would all be out of business by the end of his term — in 6 years? He added — or 10 or 14 years — and said he was just joking. This is what scares me the most. I don’t think he WAS kidding.
I don’t think he was kidding, either, but I also don’t think he knows how long a presidential term is.
He’s NOT kidding. The Oval Office is the only thing allowing him to continue his grift unimpugned. If he loses the presidency, he loses immunity.
And let’s not pretend that they wouldn’t change the rules and extend presidential terms if it meant more power and destruction of norms for the GOP.
He can’t live another 10-14 years. He CAN’T, right? All that hatred coursing through his veins has got to make something burst.
The truly disturbing thing is that he has made the “extended term joke” about 10-12 times now. He says it REGULARLY. It’s not a joke, it’s a plan.
I’m making a trip back to “the heartland” to see my family this summer, and I am bringing the Mueller Report with me. I have no other choice but to put in stark terms to my father, grandfather and grandmother why this administration is so damaging to our country. I’ve been trying to prepare a strategy. I love them, and they love me, and so I’d like to approach it like a heart-to-heart talk.
They won’t care about immigrants, they won’t care about women’s reproductive rights. But I think I can get them to care about treasonous behavior and corruption. Wish me luck.
The state of the world, and we have a president who is obsessed with Twitter “likes.”
He keeps packing on the pounds, why hasn’t he had a heart attack yet? Of course then we would be in Pence hell.
Yes, but Pence would only be there a short time. I feel like Pence would be so much easier to defeat in the 2020 election — he’s not bombastic, and his personality is close to that of a wet noodle.
he is so pathetic…it is so embarrassing
First of all, the pics look like Hieronymus Bosch paintings.
This gathering was actually a conference to allow them to network and strengthen their ability to corrupt the 2020 election and destroy our democracy. A ship of fools, indeed. But extremely dangerous fools.
What or who are Diamond and Silk? I’m not interested enough to Google it.
Two soulless creatures not worth your time.
😂😂😂
How can it be a Social Media Summit when you don’t invite any of the major Social Media companies? Let’s call it what it really was – Social Media B$!&@ Summit.
He did invite a bunch, for next week, and insisted they’ll be there*.
*They won’t.
Anyone else see Sebastian Gorka try to get into a physical altercation with a journalist at this event? Keeping it classy, as always.
(And any time Scientologist Joy Villa is invited to an event, you know the crazies are out in full force.)
Acosta is stepping down.
He is? Good!!!!
Yep.
Sebastian Gorka parks on the sidewalk as if laws don’t pertain to him.
https://twitter.com/bilsko/status/925454462239543298?s=21
First they create an enemy that will stir up support, then slowly put their people in place and test boundaries, incite distrust in the system and institutions. Now they’re taking about censoring the media and other platforms to suit their agenda.
Hate to be so pessimistic but he isn’t leaving office next year. I’m betting by 2024 they’ll have successfully changed enough laws so that he won’t be prosecuted when he steps down (or is incapacitated) and Ivanka takes his place.
“he really believes Twitter is “banning” people from following him or liking his tweets”
I do not believe for one second that he actually believes this.
I think his claim that Twitter is banning people from following him is an attempt to deflect from the ruling stating that he has violated the constitution by blocking accounts that criticize and/or mock him.
He’s just lying as usual.
Let’s be honest, there are people, like me, that follow him to keep up with the absurdities he spews. And like me, won’t like any of his tweets. So no one is being blocked from following or liking his tweets.
I certainly don’t follow him, but I check in a few times a week to make trolling comments. And there seem to be thousands more who do the same. And the same at ivanka’s site.
PS Just checked and Individual 1 has 61.8 million followers and President BHO has 107 million. Burn!🔥🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣
Social media summit = a bunch of weiners in a circle.
Tiffany is not an innocent victim here. Just because she’s not actively in the spotlight doesn’t mean she’s not complicit. She’s shilling hard. Check her twitterfeed.
El Trumpo paid her college / university tuition. She might not be daddy’s favourite child but she’s well liked to be tolerated to go to London with her half siblings.
The only one who is a victim is Barron. He didn’t ask to be there and has no say in the matter. Melania, Marla and Ivana keep their mouth shut because they don’t want to lose out on all that money. And until anyone actively opposes El Tangerine for what he is they are as complicit in this whole mess. So if like spineless Paul Ryan recently and his idiot friends served in the administration from hell who want to put out a book of how El Trumpo is crazy, deranged…show them the middle finger and ask them where they were when they knew all that and still did nothing. Never let them forget!!
Thank you so much for your comment. Tiffany is at all his big events like the rest of his adult children. What makes her untouchable . There was a story I read saying she likes to ask for favors because she’s his daughter.
This was just a circle jerks of jerks.
Some of the things that the buffoon said:
https://www.rawstory.com/2019/07/here-are-the-5-most-bonkers-statements-from-trumps-summit-with-right-wing-trolls-and-conspiracy-theorists/
People come up to me and they say, ‘Sir, I can’t get you. I can’t follow you.’”
He just lovvvvves that people (have to) call him sir. Egomaniac. He makes his ladies of the night call him sir, I just know it.
Guys, I need some advice. I am living in conservative hell. Surrounded by Trump supporters and rednecks. It’s so hard for me to keep it in when they say ignorant stuff. For Example we were at a fast food restaurant yesterday and this guy was wearing a Confederate flag tshirt that said I’m ok if you’re offended by this. I told him good cause I am offended by this. I know I shouldn’t have said anything, that’s what he wants, but I have a big mouth. Then some guy in overalls said I support you to him. My big mouth opened again and I said you’re ignorant too. They just ignored me and I didn’t say anything else. I know, it’s dangerous to interact with these fools but it’s so hard for me to keep my mouth shut. I feel like they spout their ignorance all the time, they need to hear that not everyone agrees. Do you guys think that I should shut it so I don’t get into fights? Attempt to respectfully debate? But I don’t think that’s possible. 80% of restaurants w TVs play trump news. In a way, it’s futile, they won’t change. But on the other hand, I hope that maybe something I say will make them think twice about their views. Idk how to handle it, my blood gets boiling when I hear some of the shit. Idk how to handle it.
Yikes, I have no idea how to handle that. I would have to move. I am a POC and it makes me rage cry when I see these idiots. The ones who show their colours are of suspect intellect, no world view, and easily led. It is my supposition that the more dangerous ones are those who hear the dog whistle and give a silent nod, without exposing themselves as shoddy people.
Just stay safe, but be true to yourself. Being an ally is so very important.
Thanks 🤗