Facebook and YouTube have taken down President Trump’s one-minute video asking his supporters who stormed the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday to “go home in peace.”
“This is an emergency situation and we are taking appropriate emergency measures, including removing President Trump’s video,” said Guy Rosen, VP of Integrity at Facebook, in a tweet. “We removed it because on balance we believe it contributes to rather than diminishes the risk of ongoing violence.”
This is an emergency situation and we are taking appropriate emergency measures, including removing President Trump’s video. We removed it because on balance we believe it contributes to rather than diminishes the risk of ongoing violence.
— Guy Rosen (@guyro) January 6, 2021
“We removed a video posted this afternoon to Donald Trump’s channel that violated our policies regarding content that alleges widespread fraud or errors changed the outcome of the 2020 U.S. Election,” said YouTube’s head of policy communications, Farshad Shadloo, in a statement to ABC News.
While Trump asked his supporters who descended upon the Capitol amid Congress’ electoral vote count to stand down, he also repeated false claims that he won the election in a landslide.
“I know you’re hurt,” Trump said in the pre-taped video. “We had an election that was stolen from us. It was a landslide election. Everyone knows it, especially the other side, but you have to go home now.”
He added: “We have to have peace. We have to have law and order. We have to respect our great people in law and order. We don’t want anybody hurt.”
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 6, 2021
“This was a fraudulent election but we can’t play into the hands of these people, we have to have peace,” he said. “So, go home. We love you, you’re very special.”
Facebook also removed a post by the president telling supporters to “Remember this day forever!”
“These are the things and events that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long. Go home with love & in peace,” he wrote.
Meanwhile, Twitter removed the option to retweet or reply to Trump’s video, affixing to the tweet a disclaimer that reads: “This claim of election fraud is disputed, and this Tweet can’t be replied to, Retweeted or liked due to a risk of violence.”
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