Facebook Suspends Trump For 2 Years But Leaves The Door Open To More

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Last updated on June 6th, 2021 at 03:37 am

Facebook announced that they are suspending Trump for two years with the option of extending it if he continues to threaten public safety.

Facebook announced in a blog post:

We are today announcing new enforcement protocols to be applied in exceptional cases such as this, and we are confirming the time-bound penalty consistent with those protocols which we are applying to Mr. Trump’s accounts. Given the gravity of the circumstances that led to Mr. Trump’s suspension, we believe his actions constituted a severe violation of our rules which merit the highest penalty available under the new enforcement protocols. We are suspending his accounts for two years, effective from the date of the initial suspension on January 7 this year.

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At the end of this period, we will look to experts to assess whether the risk to public safety has receded. We will evaluate external factors, including instances of violence, restrictions on peaceful assembly and other markers of civil unrest. If we determine that there is still a serious risk to public safety, we will extend the restriction for a set period of time and continue to re-evaluate until that risk has receded.

Facebook said that if Trump is reinstated, he will face a rapidly escalating series of sanctions for future violations.

Does anyone seriously believe that Donald Trump will be able to follow any of the rules that Facebook establishes for his reinstatement for more than a month?

Trump getting back on Facebook doesn’t mean much. His entire strategy, media and otherwise, was based on his ability to spread uncontested lies, smears, and false statements on Twitter.

By the time Trump’s Facebook suspension ends, he will likely be under criminal indictment, so his suspension should be viewed as a likely first step toward a permanent ban.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association