The White House’s latest excuse for Trump’s silence on the Capitol attack is the worst yet

R&I – TxPaT ***

Analysis by Chris Cillizza, CNN Editor-at-large

Updated 1:07 PM ET, Mon January 18, 2021

(CNN)President Donald Trump’s egging on of rioters before the storming of the US Capitol — and his silence as that mob overran the building — was a deeply injurious moment for the country and a dark mark on his legacy. And it was all social media’s fault…

That last bit is according to Hogan Gidley, a White House spokesman who said this on Fox News Sunday while defending the President’s lack of leadership in those key moments as the rioters took the Capitol:

“On one hand, he should be censored by Big Tech and not be allowed to talk, he also shouldn’t say anything because it’s divisive?” Gidley said. “And then when he doesn’t say anything and can’t say anything because the platforms have removed him, they say, ‘Where’s the President?'”

Huh! So, Trump’s deplatforming by Twitter and Facebook made it impossible for him to address the American public — and the rioters? Interesting!

Especially because the deplatforming came AFTER the January 6 riots. Facebook banned Trump from posting on its site on January 7. Twitter followed suit on January 8.

Trump, in fact, posted several videos during and after the riots — in which he offered a lukewarm urging for the demonstrators to disperse while telling them “we love you, you’re very special.”

Continued

Carl Sagan

Article URL : https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/18/politics/hogan-gidley-trump-january-6/index.html