After Facebook's oversight board voted to uphold Facebook's indefinite ban on President Donald Trump Wednesday morning, the 45th President blasted big tech in a statement posted to his new communication platform:
"What Facebook, Twitter, and Google have done is a total disgrace and an embarrassment to our Country. Free Speech has been taken away from the President of the United States because the Radical Left Lunatics are afraid of the truth, but the truth will come out anyway, bigger and stronger than ever before. The People of our Country will not stand for it! These corrupt social media companies must pay a political price, and must never again be allowed to destroy and decimate our Electoral Process."
President Trump wasn't the only one to call for action in response to the oversight board's ruling.
Rep. Ken Buck (R-CO) called for "aggressive antitrust reform to break up Facebook's monopoly" saying he is "disappointed, but not surprised, by the Facebook Oversight Board ruling," adding "the American people should fear any company that sees itself as so powerful it establishes a biased, quasi-judicial entity to adjudicate our First Amendment rights."
Facebook’s status as a monopoly has led its leaders to believe it can silence and censor Americans' speech with no repercussions.
— Congressman Ken Buck (@RepKenBuck) May 5, 2021
Now more than ever we need aggressive antitrust reform to break up Facebook’s monopoly. pic.twitter.com/WFPEe8aXsS
Republican Missouri Senator Josh Hawley echoed the call to break up the monopoly seen through the "tyranny" of big tech:
Here’s a real life example of the tyranny of #BigTech - a fake @Facebook court decides @Facebook can do whatever @Facebook wants, in this case, suspending Donald Trump w/o process or standards. That’s what monopolies do. Break them up https://t.co/rgTel7DopY
— Josh Hawley (@HawleyMO) May 5, 2021
Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows remarked that this is "a sad day for America," adding "it's a sad day for Facebook because I can tell you a number of members of Congress are now looking at, do they break up Facebook? Do they make sure that they don't have a monopoly?"
"It's a sad day for America." @MarkMeadows reacts after Facebook upholds the ban against former President Trump @BillHemmer @DanaPerino pic.twitter.com/rx1JbbUFBh
— America's Newsroom (@AmericaNewsroom) May 5, 2021
Meadows also tweeted that "it's past time to hold [big tech] accountable. Break them up."
Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy warned that if Facebook can ban President Trump, "all conservative voices could be next," promising that if his party retakes the House of Representatives in 2022 "a House Republican majority will rein in big tech power over our speech."
Facebook is more interested in acting like a Democrat Super PAC than a platform for free speech and open debate.
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) May 5, 2021
If they can ban President Trump, all conservative voices could be next.
A House Republican majority will rein in big tech power over our speech.
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo also chimed in on Twitter, saying freedom of speech "shouldn't be a partisan issue" but "the Left only supports free speech if what you have to say comports with their liberal ideology."
Our freedom of speech is under attack in America. This shouldn’t be a partisan issue — but, unfortunately, the Left only supports free speech if what you have to say comports with their liberal ideology.
— Mike Pompeo (@mikepompeo) May 5, 2021
If Facebook and Twitter can ban President Trump, they’ll ban you too.
Ben Shapiro highlighted the double-standard in Facebook's indefinite suspension of President Trump while allowing Democrats and the media to praise violent rioters who laid siege to America's cities over the last year.
Facebook's Oversight Board says they were right to suspend Trump because he violated their rule "prohibiting praise or support of people engaged in violence." Last year, nearly the entire media and Democratic Party praised people engaged in the most costly riots in US history.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) May 5, 2021
And former U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley called out Facebook and Twitter for allowing "some of the world's worst dictators, terrorists, and bad actors" to freely use their platforms.
Facebook and Twitter ban a former U.S. President, yet, some of the world’s worst dictators, terrorists, and bad actors still have a platform.
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) May 5, 2021
This is a gross double standard and it’s why most Americans don't trust big tech.
Meanwhile over on CNN, correspondent Donie O'Sullivan remarked that this is "basically a nightmare situation for Facebook."
Facebook has 6 months to decide if Trump should be allowed back on its platform or banned forever.
— Donie O'Sullivan (@donie) May 5, 2021
Nightmare for the company as the board it set up to make these decisions punted it back to Zuckerberg.
Breaking it down with @brianstelter @jimsciutto @PoppyHarlowCNN @JohnAvlon pic.twitter.com/3DhNfXrLeD
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