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© Copyright 2019 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.Trump complains social media sites discriminate against conservatives
By KEVIN FREKING WASHINGTON©2024 GPlusMedia Inc.
77 Comments
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SuperLib
Trump sure does like to play the victim card a lot.
Strangerland
Social media is mad of algorithms that show people content they most likely want to see. The fact is most people don’t want to see conservative crap. People tend left. This is not social media discriminating against the right, it’s society that is doing so.
cla68
Project Veritas has posted videos on YouTube of Twitter and Facebook employees admitting to censoring conservatives. President Trump is right, as usual.
David Varnes
Is right wing nut job claptrap. It's the right wing equivalent of Mother Jones, about as reputable as Brietbart or Conservapedia.
PTownsend
The various Russian organizations like the Internet Research Agency and others have been very successful at pouring more fuel on fires long burning in the US. That brings up the question: why hasn't Trump done more to prevent Russia from further meddling in US politics.
The whiner in chief is aiming to be Herr Diktator as he and his bund continue their assaults on US systems. Just as he pledged to do all along.
jcapan
Toadying up to an outright fascist with abundant mob and militia ties should surprise us but this is where we're at.
Blacklabel
its also made of algorithms that block conservative content. Considering conservatives are half the users of anything, it’s definitely not that no one wants to see it.
PTownsend
Do you have a source that verifies that claim?
lincolnman
And the Great Orange Idiot continues his war against our Constitution and the democratic value of free speech. Is there any question where he got his idea that it's good to censor those that disagree with you and highlight your criminal behavior for all to see?
https://www.npr.org/2019/03/18/704600310/russia-criminalizes-the-spread-of-online-news-which-disrespects-the-government
Once, again, Trump follows his Master Putin....and their joint plan to reduce Amercian stature and influence, and make America more like Russia...
Welcome to Amerika 2019 - courtesy of the Russian asset in the White House...
stormcrow
Saturday Night Live & Alec Baldwin . . . Bad! Bad!
Fox News & Rep. Devin Nunes . . . Good! Good!
Have some more koolaid.
commanteer
This is the "I didn't shoot him, my gun did" defense.
theFu
If conservatives want a non-left-leaning social network, then they should build one. These aren't govt entities. There isn't any rights on them. We can use them as long as the owners decide that is ok.
BTW, there are numerous right-leaning social networks. They just aren't very popular and don't get any cross-pollination linking from other websites. Perhaps this is because they allow extreme views to be posted?
Blacklabel
I was being nice. There are actually more conservatives than liberals. So the conservative view on social media is not some “fringe” thing that no one wants to hear.
since when did liberals become so pro censorship?
https://news.gallup.com/poll/225074/conservative-lead-ideology-down-single-digits.aspx
CrazyJoe
This from the jackboot **** who ordered Homeland Security to filter and stop journalists, attorneys, and other, suspicious activity professions at the border and demand their cell phones for screening for contacts? Throw the key away on these fascist thugs.
Blacklabel
Liberals control the actual media and collide with them to attack the president. So the only thing remaining for conservatives is social media. Which the liberal leaning tech companies are now actively restricting to conservatives as well.
Will be interesting to see the outcome of the Covington lawsuits and Devin Nunes lawsuit. Conservatives banned for tweeting “learn to code” but liberal accounts never removed or restricted.
PTownsend
Are you saying Rupert Murdoch and Putin's global media empires aren't 'actual media'? That Sinclair media and all the various youtube, blog and other Internet sites aren't actual media?
A bit of Brave New World and 1984 change of language to suit rightist's world?
Strangerland
YOU CAN'T PROVE COLLUSION!
Anyways, back to seriousness, the liberals do not control the media. Capitalists control the media. Advertising pays for the media. Advertisers pay when people consume media with their advertising on it. Therefore capitalist media owners put out media that brings in the highest viewership/readership, so as to increase their profits.
The people consume the media that is most in line with what they want to read.
For the majority of people, that's left-wing media. That's because the majority of people are left. Remember, the Democrats got the most votes last election.
Your comment is putting the cart before the horse. The liberals don't control the media, unless you define 'control' as 'choosing to consume media that aligns with ones values'.
That's also why Fox "news" gets so much viewership, because it aligns with the content its viewers want to consume.
Strangerland
Except that liberal accounts are also removed and restricted, you just haven't bothered to fact check yourself. To be fair, the left does it too - trying to claim an unfair bias against the left and that right-wingers get to say whatever they want without being banned or restricted.
Chip Star
This doesn't mean that half of social media users are conservative. Any actual evidence for that assertion?
Uhhh . . . The assumption that underlies this question is as accurate as your assertion that conservatives make up half of all social media users.
Strangerland
And also because the majority of people lean left. Just by numbers alone, these sites will not be as popular.
Chip Star
Project Veritas has as much credibility as Dimwit Donny: none.
plasticmonkey
Trump's election win was in no small part the result of manipulation of social media, especially Facebook and Twitter. And Trump's presidency is essentially driven by his tweets.
Trump criticizing social media is just more gaslighting and whining.
I agree with Nunes' characterization of Twitter. It's time for Twitter to expel Trump.
arrestpaul
Which also brings up the question: Why didn't Obama tell the voters that Russia was trying to influence the 2016 American elections while it was actually occurring? Who was he afraid of offending? Currently, voters are (finally) aware that Russia, China, etc. are still trying to influence U.S. voters. Some people are being paid to post whatever biases/spin their employers want posted. Influencers are currently using the internet to influence American elections. Some of them may even be telling the WHOLE truth. It's up to the individual listener/reader to determine if a post, or story, is political spin, bias, just plain hatred disguised as opinion. For example, stories about Canadian politics, appearing on a Japanese website, don't need a reference to Trump, unless the author can't focus on the actual story without letting their personal hatred color the story.
Goodlucktoyou
I feel left out. 2 billion Facebook uses. But not me.
plasticmonkey
The answer to this is obvious, and has been settled long ago.
I agree with that.
Laguna
Obama felt that a sitting president with incomplete information should not put thumbs on the scale of his successor.
Gave you a thumb up for this. How gullible some are never ceases to amaze me.
bass4funk
Exactly. Liberals have pret5y much always controlled the media and it was always left leaning, but it didn’t get progressively in the tank and socialist embracing until recently and with the help of Hollywood and Silicone Valley, they do control the narrative overwhelmingly. If it weren’t for outlets like FNC that cater to a broader crowd and people that are libertarians, conservatives and independents, we would have a radical progressive echo chamber. They want to go back to the old days of CNN “Crossfire”
Which came in the evenings on the weekends when they hauled old Bob Novak and he would spar against some liberal and that was about it and that’s all people heard from conservatives until Roget Ailed launched FNC.
Never! But the CEO in an interview admitted his company is left-leaning. Hey, just ask James Woods.
SuperLib
This should be fun. Trump fans are going to attack liberal media companies without proof, just the sense that they are victims.
Maybe they are victims? If so, they deserve it.
starpunk
Der Fuhrer keeps on whining and crying like a mongrel dog. He keeps on howling and barking all the time. He doesn't know when to shut up. Just like Macbeth he's paranoid, antsy and just won't shut it up. All it does is shows just vain, pompous, selfish and corrupt he really is.
bass4funk
What are you talking about?? There’s an abundance of tangible proof, I know liberals don’t know it because they’re focused on......whatever....
Yes and they deserve a now overwhelmingly conservative court as well.
bass4funk
He doesn’t need to, but he sure knows how to use Twitter, so that’s a great sign.
And that’s part of their job, nothing wrong with it.
Serrano
Trump sure does like to play the victim card a lot
Trump is the victim of attacks from the media every single day.
Trump does not even know how to use a computer. Never see one on his desk. Can just about manage to tweet.
Yeah! So far he's only managed to tweet 40,972 times! Ah hahahahahahahahahahahaha
lincolnman
Donnie the Despot engaging in more rumor mongering and conspiracy theory spinning. And the members of his cult just lap it all up. One would have thought they would have learned their lesson with the birth certificate fiasco. That some still believe that slander is true just goes to show how far off the deep end they are...
He has nothing to offer except fear, faux outrage, and false victimization - and his supporters buy every line of this BS.
Maybe he should direct his anger and outrage at Putin for his overt attack on our democracy....well, guess you can't "bite the hand that feeds you", or in Donnie's case, has copies of all your Russian investments and loans...
I mean, Don Jr and Eric have both said "they get all the money they (The Trump Org) needs from Russia"...
Putin must be wondering when he is going to get that Trump Tower Moscow penthouse he was promised...
Deadforgood
How is Trump even eligible to complain about social media discrimination when he does it every day?...
Strangerland
If he'd just show his long-form birth certificate to prove he's not half orangutan - presidents MUST be fully human - this problem would go away.
PTownsend
If by 'media', you mean: the means of communication, as radio and television, newspapers, magazines, and the Internet, that reach or influence people widely: https://www.dictionary.com/browse/media
then it's also true Trump is lauded by some in the media every single day (watch Fox'news', any Sinclair Media outlet and numerous others, and also true he's treated fairly by some media outlets.
I can understand why Russians would attack the 'west's' free, for profit press in Russia's ongoing attempts to undermine western democracies (and republics), but am baffled why someone who claims to be an American would do so, especially someone who so frequently provides links to various media.
A free, for-profit press is essential to the US and guaranteed by the US Constitution.
Strangerland
Serrano, why does Trumpy hate the constitution?
Deadforgood
Seems like Trump's #1 goal is getting rid of the constitution.
bass4funk
No, the Democrats want to change it, allow 16 year old kids to vote, abolish the 2nd amendment, pack the courts and just more and more nutty stuff that will never, ever happen.
Deadforgood
But Trump wants to abolish the 1st amendment...I'd rather give up guns than speech. Wouldn't you?
PTownsend
Which the US Constitution allows: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Article_Five_of_the_United_States_Constitution
I would think you'd be happy knowing you live in a democratic republic where you can elect politicians who can vote to change or not change the Constitution. For example, if you don't want the 2nd Amendment changed, you can vote for a candidate who has the same view.
I'm confused. I thought Trump supporters are pushing for him to 'pack' the courts with those sharing his views.
Chip Star
Instead of getting work done as the president. HAAAAAAAAAAARRRR!!!!
bass4funk
Yes, but the loony ideas the liberals have like this will never come to fruition.
Outlawing the 2nd amendment would be like outright banning abortion across the board for whatever reason. Will never happen.
Yes, but the dumb Warren move about appointing more liberal judges and increasing them to 12 is absolutely Hilariously! FDR tried......he tried....lol
bass4funk
He does. Chair of the House Intelligence Committee, preceded by Devin Nunes
yakyak
They do, it’s a fact.
Blacklabel
say the people who want to keep adding Dems to the Supreme Court until they have a majority. Say people who want 16 year olds to vote. Who want to eliminate the electoral college, who want to let non citizens vote. Who wants to get rid of the constitution again?
Toasted Heretic
Agreed, Zichi. He's sick. His twitter meltdown this weekend indicates something is wrong with his mental health. For once, I genuinely feel sorry for the man.
Chip Star
Great! Relevance!
Irrelevant.
Irrelevant.
Chip Star
No need to feel left out, you undoubtedly get the same nonsense here.
Chip Star
In a constitutional manner.
Please stop with righteing conspiracies. Haven't you yet learned you cannot get away with them on these threads? Seriously, that amount of time and energy you and Bass spend spreading them coupled with the time and energy we spend correcting them could power Tokyo for a decade.
Trump. See, when you changes things in the manner the constitution allows, it means you respect it.
SuperLib
Mail in voting is much, much more open to fraud then in person voting. But more Republicans vote by mail and more Democrats vote in person, so they lie about fraud in person and downplay mail fraud. Even though it's much more dangerous.
Why? They think it will help keep them in power. The end.
Chip Star
Ouch. Cold, hard facts. ROFL! HAR!
plasticmonkey
So in conclusion, Trump is a semi-senile narcissistic paranoiac weirdo, and some people feel too much invested in the guy to admit that fact.
This story will repeat ad nauseam, I’m afraid.
SuperLib
Ss you see what Trump tweeted about George Conway this morning? He's losing it heh
sunfunbun
It's not discrimination. People don't like liars. Republicans are always muddled, relying on twisting truths and not being transparent. It's the party of Nixon and his lies, of which, I'm sure there are still plenty of Republicans who think he was treated unfairly. Even Nixon didn't lie as much as Trump, and likely knew when he was lying. It's so Orwellian now with Trump, his doublethink is now his reality. Lies are truth and visa versa, and he doesn't know when he's telling truth or lies.
Serrano
Trump's focus on social media began with a morning tweet and continued into a press conference with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro
Bad news for the Dems - Bolsonaro said he thinks Trump will be re-elected.
But Trump wants to abolish the 1st amendment
That statement has no basis in reality.
mukashiyokatta
It's because conservatives are despised so much -- especially the racist and sexist Bible-thumpers.
theFu
There was a study performed which showed that most financial media was biased towards the left. https://www.investors.com/politics/editorials/media-bias-left-study/
When you add it up, 58.47% admit to being left of center. Along with that, another 37.12% claim to be "moderate."
Name calling does a disservice to yourself.
BTW, I absentee vote, by mail. To reduce fraud, my state wanted to validate signatures between the voting packet and voter registration, but the courts threw that requirement out. It was too much of an expectation for people to sign their name in a similar way.
extanker
Eh, he's not wrong. Anyone saying otherwise is just in denial. But social media sites are private entities that can operate however they want, so don't like it, don't use them.
SuperLib
I think the question is why Trump is picking a Twitter fight with a deceased person.
Trump still talks about McCain so obviously he cares.
Strangerland
He is wrong, as I explained earlier:
CaptDingleheimer
Orange man bad!
Serrano
you see what Trump tweeted about George Conway this morning? He's losing it heh
Nah, George lost it.
starpunk
In 2016 he lambasted an Arab-American officer who died in Iraq, and made the widow cry. He publicly humiliated her and slammed the dead soldier for his ethnicity and religion. He already insulted a dead person - who was another American war hero. Dumpster hates American war heroes because he knows he's a warmonger coward and he's not even an American now, beings he sold himself to the Russians.
Serrano
In 2016 he lambasted an Arab-American officer who died in Iraq, and made the widow cry. He publicly humiliated her and slammed the dead soldier for his ethnicity and religion. He already insulted a dead person - who was another American war hero. Dumpster hates American war heroes because he knows he's a warmonger coward and he's not even an American now, beings he sold himself to the Russians.
Good grief. Trump was defending himself against a ridiculous attack by the father of the Arab-American officer who died in Iraq at the Democratic National Convention. Amazing how the soldier died in a war not supported by Trump but supported by McCain, who was not a war hero, but a warmonger. Cue the music: Bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb-bomb Iran...
TIJ
Left, right, left, right..
1glenn
A recent Pew Research poll found that only six percent of American scientists and engineers self identify as Republicans, while over 50% of them identified as Democrats. Does that mean that science and facts have a bias against Republicans?
Serrano
only six percent of American scientists and engineers self identify as Republicans, while over 50% of them identified as Democrats
Ever hear of the term "educated idiots," 1glenn?
bass4funk
OK, we get liberals hate Trump, so what about the question as it relates to conservatives, it would mean you happily discriminate against hate, fear and stupidity towards conservatives, is it safe enough to say?
bass4funk
Reagan is dead and I still hear insults about him as well as Margaret Thatcher, they can’t fight back as well, I find it hateful and stupid as well, so what’s your point?
I never said, I approve or applaud it, but I understand why Trump is angry, if someone tried to take me out the way McCain tried to do, I’d be just as ticked off which he has every right to be. You’re looking at it from a skewed partisan perspective, put the liberal conservative ideologue opinions aside for a moment. anyone in Trump’s position would have been ticked off, everyone of us. McCain being a war hero doesn’t shield him from criticism.
arrestpaul
If Democrats are demanding that more Supremes be added to the Supreme Court, they should have no problem (but will, out of habit, still whine about it) if the Republicans, and Trump, begin the process of adding more justices next month. Does one-a-month sound like something the Democrats could live with?