Trump Banned From Facebook Through at Least End of Term

President Trump will regain the ability to use his personal Twitter account on Thursday, but will continue to be restricted from posting on his Facebook or Instagram accounts through at least the end of his term, following the pro-Trump mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol Wednesday.

Facebook Inc. FB +2.03% Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg said in a Facebook post Thursday that the ban on Mr. Trump from making new posts would last at least two weeks and remain in place indefinitely thereafter. Facebook on Wednesday removed posts from Mr. Trump that claimed the election was stolen and expressed support for the protesters on Capitol Hill, saying they should “remember this day” going forward. The ban was initially due to last 24 hours.
 

“His decision to use his platform to condone rather than condemn the actions of his supporters at the Capitol building has rightly disturbed people in the US and around the world,” Mr. Zuckerberg said in the post.

Representatives for the White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

Facebook’s announcement comes as social-media companies have been facing increased pressure from some lawmakers and users to take a tougher stance on Mr. Trump, calling for longer account suspension or a permanent ban. On Wednesday, Facebook, Twitter Inc. and Alphabet Inc. were among the companies that placed restrictions on posts after protests about the election outcome resulted in pro-Trump rioters invading the Capitol building, clashing with police and threatening lawmakers.

Twitter said Mr. Trump would regain the ability to use his personal account Thursday because he deleted three tweets that violated its policies. Twitter previously blocked the tweets from public viewing, saying they represented “repeated and severe violations” of its civic integrity policy.

Mr. Trump’s last viewable tweet was posted around 4 p.m. ET in which he asked the people who came to protest at the Capitol to “remain peaceful.”

Twitter also warned that it could enact a permanent suspension of Mr. Trump’s account if he commits further violations.

Danielle Citron, a professor at the University of Virginia Law School and longtime member of Twitter’s Trust and Safety board, has previously argued in favor of suspending Mr. Trump’s account, citing harm to public health and U.S. democracy. On Wednesday, she said in an op-ed published by the news outlet Slate that Mr. Trump “needs a serious timeout, perhaps a permanent one.”
 

A congressional exercise in the peaceful transfer of power devolved into deadly chaos when a pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol. Hours after the riots, Congress reconvened and certified President-elect Joe Biden’s victory. Photo: Lev Radin/Pacific Press via ZUMA Wire