Twitter’s Trump Ban Deemed Necessary, Derided as Long Overdue

For four years during his presidency, Twitter allowed Donald Trump to amplify attacks on his rivals, spread conspiracies and provoke other nations. Two days after his rallying cries culminated in an actual violent mob storming the U.S. Capitol, the social media platform took his favorite megaphone away, banning his account permanently.

That may be too little, too late. The decision is unlikely to let Twitter off the hook after years of enabling the president, allowing a portion of America to be sucked into an angry alternate reality. The company is already facing criticism from Democrat politicians, who will take control of U.S. Congress and the presidency in less than two weeks. Those who study social media misinformation have long warned Twitter, Facebook and YouTube that the president’s words could lead to real-world violence.