Democrats in Uproar After Meta Restores Donald Trump’s Facebook, Instagram Accounts

PORTSMOUTH, OH –  Prominent Democrats were in an uproar this week after social media giant Meta made the decision to restore the Facebook and Instagram accounts of Donald Trump after they were originally suspended following the attack on the U.S. Capitol building by supporters of the former president on January 6, 2021. 

Meta made the announcement last Wednesday, saying that they were allowing Trump back on their social media platforms as a show of support in the concept of free speech, and that “certain guardrails” would be put into place to prevent potential issues in the future. 

Banning Trump from Facebook and Instagram for his alleged role in encouraging his followers to storm the Capitol Building in an attempt to halt the certification of Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential election was “an extraordinary decision taken in extraordinary circumstances,” Meta said in a statement. 

“Social media is rooted in the belief that open debate and the free flow of ideas are important values, especially at a time when they are under threat in many places around the world,” Meta stated. “As a general rule, we don’t want to get in the way of open, public and democratic debate on Meta’s platforms, especially in the context of elections in democratic societies like the United States.” 

Meta did not indicate the exact date that Trump’s ban would be lifted, only that it would take place soon because they felt he was no longer a “risk” to public safety. 

“We are bringing Mr. Trump back in the coming weeks with certain guardrails, applicable to any public figures suspended for certain violations during times of civil unrest,” the Meta statement said. “The penalties and potential restrictions we’ve put in place are a deterrent.” 

Trump also recently had his Twitter ban lifted as well, but thus far has chosen to exclusively remain on his own platform, Truth Social. 

In response to the news of Meta allowing Trump back on their social media platforms, Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) sent an angry letter to Nicholas Clegg, Meta’s President of Global Affairs. 

“Based on Meta’s previous statements on standards for allowing Trump back on the platform, his account should not have been reinstated,” the letter read. “Trump has continued to post harmful election content on Truth Social that would likely violate Facebook’s policies, and we have every reason to believe he will bring similar conspiratorial rhetoric back to Facebook, too.”