(VitalNews.org) – No American President has been “deplatformed” from the digital public square the way former President Donald Trump has, and now one of those who “canceled” the 45th President has made an about-face.
The dominant video streaming site Youtube announced that it is restoring Trump’s channel after banning it following the accusations that Trump incited an insurrection at the US Capitol building on January 6, 2021.
Though videotape clearly shows Trump exhorting attendees at his January 6 rally to protest “peacefully and patriotically,” all mainstream US media and nearly all Democratic politicians accused him of directly inciting a “violent insurrection.”
But last week, Fox News’s Tucker Carlson began airing previously withheld surveillance tapes from inside the US Capitol. The previously unreleased videos showed a very different picture from the one leftist politicians tried to paint.
While a minority of Capitol protesters broke windows and started fights with police, the majority of attendees can be seen peacefully walking in the Capitol, taking photographs and brochures, and staying within the velvet ropes set up to guide tourists.
Whether Youtube’s decision was prompted in part by these newly released tapes will probably never be known, as companies are rarely honest about how and why they make big decisions about silencing controversial political figures.
Youtube’s vice president of public policy released a statement about the Trump decision that follows the typical anodyne format. The message claims the company “carefully evaluated the continued risk of real-world violence” and balanced that against the need for voters to hear from “major national candidates” running for President. To critics of leftist social media policies, YouTube’s statement will not likely gain much favor.
Youtube is a crucial advertising venue for politicians. Trump has announced his intention to run for President again in 2024, and will likely buy significant advertising on Youtube to support his campaign.
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