Twitter use by Donald Trump

From his official declaration of candidacy in 2015, Donald Trump benefited from large numbers of supporters active on social media. Some supporters called themselves "Centipedes" online.{{cite news |last=Lagorio-Chafkin |first=Christine |date=November 19, 2016 |title=Reddit and the God Emperor of the Internet |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/20/opinion/sunday/reddit-and-the-god-emperor-of-the-internet.html |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200530044228/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/20/opinion/sunday/reddit-and-the-god-emperor-of-the-internet.html |archive-date=May 30, 2020 |work=The New York Times |type=opinion}}

As president, Trump preferred to communicate over social media, announcing policy changes and the dismissals of staff members there.{{Cite news |last=Cook |first=Nancy |date=November 11, 2019 |title=Trump's bluster crashes into a barrage of impeachment facts |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2019/11/11/trump-instincts-unimpeachable-presidency-ukraine-069015 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200308042743/https://www.politico.com/news/2019/11/11/trump-instincts-unimpeachable-presidency-ukraine-069015 |archive-date=March 8, 2020 |work=Politico}} Trump largely bypassed the White House Press Secretary, and his administration ended the daily White House press briefing. Trump preferred "to dictate and dominate the news cycle"; his communications emphasized his political grievances, promoted conspiracy theories, and attacked those he regarded as enemies.

Trump used the retweet feature on Twitter to forward messages he agreed with (often posts praising him), no matter how obscure their authors were.{{cite news |last1=Bump |first1=Philip |date=September 29, 2015 |title=Donald Trump's curious retweeting habits – in 25 retweets |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/09/29/the-25-most-popular-donald-trump-retweets-of-random-people/ |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200616145147/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2015/09/29/the-25-most-popular-donald-trump-retweets-of-random-people/ |archive-date=June 16, 2020 |access-date=June 16, 2020 |newspaper=The Washington Post}} At times, Trump retweeted himself,{{cite news |last1=Crivelli |first1=Vincent |date=November 23, 2018 |title=President Trump firing off tweets, hitting the links on Black Friday |url=https://cbs12.com/news/local/president-trump-firing-off-tweets-hitting-the-links-on-black-friday |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200730024610/https://cbs12.com/news/local/president-trump-firing-off-tweets-hitting-the-links-on-black-friday |archive-date=July 30, 2020 |access-date=June 16, 2020 |publisher=WPEC}} and sometimes commented "so true" while doing so.{{cite news |last1=Chiu |first1=Allyson |date=April 27, 2020 |title=Freed of briefing duty, wounded Trump airs full collection of grievances on Twitter, retweeting claim of "coup attempts" |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/04/27/trump-twitter-media-coronavirus/ |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200427230302/https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2020/04/27/trump-twitter-media-coronavirus/ |archive-date=April 27, 2020 |access-date=June 16, 2020 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}

An investigation by The New York Times published in November 2019, found that, during his time in office to date, Trump had already retweeted at least 145 accounts that "have pushed conspiracy or fringe content, including more than two dozen that have since been suspended."

As Trump continued to issue brief statements, his spokesperson Liz Harrington tweeted screenshots of them under the Save America logo from June 2021 to June 2022.{{Cite web |last=Papenfuss |first=Mary |date=July 20, 2021 |title=Donald Trump Is Brazenly Flouting His Twitter Ban With Aide's Help |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-liz-harrington-twitter-ban-rigged-election-incitement_n_60f61701e4b0d1bafbf6315c |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211129142737/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-liz-harrington-twitter-ban-rigged-election-incitement_n_60f61701e4b0d1bafbf6315c |archive-date=November 29, 2021 |access-date=December 5, 2021 |website=HuffPost |language=en}} Since then, however, her Twitter handle @realLizUSA has been infrequently used.{{Cite news |last=Papenfuss |first=Mary |date=May 19, 2022 |title=Twitter Shuts Down Account Posting All Of Trump's Truth Social Messages |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/twitter-shuts-down-trumps-truth-social-messages_n_6286e725e4b05cfc2689ec1a |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220729005341/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/twitter-shuts-down-trumps-truth-social-messages_n_6286e725e4b05cfc2689ec1a |archive-date=July 29, 2022 |access-date=May 20, 2022 |work=HuffPost}}{{Cite web |last=Wong |first=Queenie |date=February 21, 2022 |title=Trump's Truth Social Debuts in Apple's App Store, Hits No. 1 in Top Charts |url=https://www.cnet.com/news/trumps-truth-social-debuts-in-apples-app-store/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220224155803/https://www.cnet.com/news/trumps-truth-social-debuts-in-apples-app-store/ |archive-date=February 24, 2022 |access-date=March 4, 2022 |website=CNET |language=en}} In April 2023, at his arraignment hearing, Trump was warned by Acting New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan not to use social media to incite violence.{{Cite web |last=Grenoble |first=Ryan |date=2023-04-04 |title=Judge Warns Donald Trump Against Using Social Media To 'Incite Violence' |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-judge-social-media-violence_n_642c4a12e4b0c8ff04089deb |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230404230337/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-judge-social-media-violence_n_642c4a12e4b0c8ff04089deb |archive-date=April 4, 2023 |access-date=2023-04-05 |website=HuffPost |language=en}}

By the time Twitter suspended it in January 2021 as a consequence of the 2021 United States Capitol attack, Donald Trump's Twitter account, @realDonaldTrump, had been followed by 88.7 million users.{{cite web |last=Guynn |first=Jessica |date=January 8, 2021 |title=President Trump permanently banned from Twitter over risk he could incite violence |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2021/01/08/twitter-permanently-bans-president-trump/6603578002/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224225121/https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2021/01/08/twitter-permanently-bans-president-trump/6603578002/ |archive-date=February 24, 2021 |access-date=January 9, 2021 |website=USA Today |language=en-US}}

When Trump announced his presidential campaign in 2015, he had 2.98 million followers; his follower count thereafter increased rapidly.Rachel Lerman, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/05/28/trump-twitter-by-numbers/ Trump says Twitter is trying to 'silence' conservatives. His growing number of followers suggests otherwise.] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309030932/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2020/05/28/trump-twitter-by-numbers/|date=March 9, 2021}}, The Washington Post (May 28, 2020). Many of his followers, however, were fake accounts and Twitter bots: a May 2017 analysis concluded that, of the then-30.9 million followers of Trump's personal Twitter account, 51 percent were real and 49 percent were fake. In mid-2018, Twitter conducted a site-wide crackdown on fake accounts, reducing the total number of users of the site by about 6 percent;Emily Stewart, [https://www.vox.com/2019/4/24/18514772/twitter-trump-followers-meeting-jack-dorsey What's up with Twitter's follower counts, explained for everyone — including Trump] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200517080527/https://www.vox.com/2019/4/24/18514772/twitter-trump-followers-meeting-jack-dorsey|date=May 17, 2020}}, Vox (April 24, 2019). as a result, Trump lost about 100,000 of his then-53.4 million followers. Trump repeatedly complained about reductions in the number of followers, claiming that Twitter was biased against him, and raised his complaints in tweets and in a private meeting with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey.[https://phys.org/news/2018-10-trump-twitter-followersbut-gained.html Trump complains about Twitter removing his followers] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181026202129/https://phys.org/news/2018-10-trump-twitter-followersbut-gained.html|date=October 26, 2018}}, Agence France-Presse. Via Phys.org (October 26, 2018). In October 2018, the research group SparkToro estimated that more than 6 percent of Trump's followers were "bots, spam, inactive or propaganda"—a significantly higher percentage than for followers of other American politician Twitter accounts.

Trump's advisors warned him that his tweets may alienate some of his supporters.{{Cite news |last1=Karni |first1=Annie |author-link=Annie Karni |last2=Rogers |first2=Katie |last3=Haberman |first3=Maggie |author-link3=Maggie Haberman |date=March 18, 2019 |title='Be Weak & Die!' Seeking Clues Behind Trump's Weekend Twitter Barrage |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/18/us/politics/trump-weekend-tweets.html |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107231035/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/18/us/politics/trump-weekend-tweets.html |archive-date=November 7, 2020 |access-date=March 19, 2019 |work=The New York Times}} In a June 2017 Fox News poll, 70 percent of respondents said Trump's tweets hurt his agenda.{{cite news |last=Blanton |first=Dana |date=June 29, 2017 |title=Fox News Poll: Voters say Trump's tweets hurting agenda |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fox-news-poll-voters-say-trumps-tweets-hurting-agenda |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170702193700/http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/06/29/fox-news-poll-voters-say-trumps-tweets-hurting-agenda.html |archive-date=July 2, 2017 |access-date=July 3, 2017 |publisher=Fox News}}{{cite news |title=Trump's approval rating sinks as Twitter controversies swirl |url=https://www.aol.com/article/news/2017/07/03/poll-trumps-approval-rating-sinks-below-40-percent-as-twitter/23012971/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170703175424/https://www.aol.com/article/news/2017/07/03/poll-trumps-approval-rating-sinks-below-40-percent-as-twitter/23012971/ |archive-date=July 3, 2017 |access-date=July 3, 2017 |work=AOL.com}} In a January 2019 UMass Lowell poll, 68 percent of all respondents aged 18–37 said Trump tweeted too much.{{Cite press release |title=Poll: Majority of Millennials Do Not Like Trump, Twitter |date=January 16, 2019 |publisher=University of Massachusetts, Lowell |url=https://www.uml.edu/News/press-releases/2019/millennialpollrelease.aspx |last1=Gillette |first1=Christine |access-date=December 17, 2020 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201217234828/https://www.uml.edu/News/press-releases/2019/millennialpollrelease.aspx |archive-date=December 17, 2020}}

In November 2016, shortly after winning the election, Trump said in a 60 Minutes interview that, as president, his use of social media would be "very restrained, if I use it at all."{{Cite news |last=Stahl |first=Lesley |author-link=Lesley Stahl |date=November 13, 2016 |title=President-elect Trump speaks to a divided country |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/60-minutes-donald-trump-family-melania-ivanka-lesley-stahl/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200122142109/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/60-minutes-donald-trump-family-melania-ivanka-lesley-stahl/ |archive-date=January 22, 2020 |access-date=November 2, 2019 |work=60 Minutes |publisher=CBS News}} Trump went on to Tweet more than 25,000 times during his presidency; by the first half of 2019, he was tweeting as frequently as he had as a candidate, and he doubled this rate during the second half of 2019 and the first half of 2020. On his most prolific day, June 5, 2020, he tweeted 200 times.{{Cite news |last=Perrett |first=Connor |date=June 6, 2020 |title=Trump broke his all-time tweeting record amid nationwide protests, sending more tweets in a single day than he did during his impeachment trial |url=https://www.insider.com/trump-breaks-record-most-tweets-in-a-single-day-2020-6 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20201218002217/https://www.insider.com/trump-breaks-record-most-tweets-in-a-single-day-2020-6 |archive-date=December 18, 2020 |access-date=June 6, 2020 |website=Insider}}

Tweets counted through Trump Twitter Archive are shown below.{{cite web |title=Trump Twitter Archive |url=https://www.thetrumparchive.com/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210109031942/https://www.thetrumparchive.com/ |archive-date=January 9, 2021 |access-date=January 12, 2021 |website=The Trump Twitter Archive}}

In addition to the tweets he put out, he was also the intended recipient of tweets by others. In 2019, Donald Trump was tagged on Twitter at a rate of 1,000 times per minute, according to The New York Times.

After the inauguration, the White House would not comment on whether Trump was using a secure phone.{{Cite news |last=Sanders |first=Sam |date=February 2, 2017 |title=Is Trump Tweeting From a 'Secure' Smartphone? The White House Won't Say |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2017/02/03/513256171/is-trump-tweeting-from-a-secure-smartphone-the-white-house-wont-say |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200730035738/https://www.npr.org/sections/alltechconsidered/2017/02/03/513256171/is-trump-tweeting-from-a-secure-smartphone-the-white-house-wont-say |archive-date=July 30, 2020 |access-date=November 2, 2019 |work=All Things Considered |publisher=NPR}}

Before, he had been using a Samsung Galaxy S3 which only has Android 4.3.1 as its latest OS, a version of Android which Google marked as unsupported and discontinued as of Trump's inauguration.{{cite web |last=Wehner |first=Mike |date=February 3, 2017 |title=If Donald Trump still uses a Galaxy S3, that's a big problem |url=https://bgr.com/2017/02/03/donald-trump-phone-samsung-galaxy-s3/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126001436/https://bgr.com/2017/02/03/donald-trump-phone-samsung-galaxy-s3/ |archive-date=January 26, 2021 |access-date=January 9, 2020 |website=BGR}} Since then, he has used an iPhone to use Twitter.{{cite web |last=McCormick |first=Rich |date=March 29, 2017 |title=Donald Trump is using an iPhone now |url=https://www.theverge.com/2017/3/29/15103504/donald-trump-iphone-using-switched-android |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200520123751/https://www.theverge.com/2017/3/29/15103504/donald-trump-iphone-using-switched-android |archive-date=May 20, 2020 |access-date=October 6, 2020 |website=The Verge}}

The iPhone Twitter app used by Trump in 2018 lacked certain security features, and Politico reported in May 2018 that Trump's phone "has gone as long as five months" without being checked by security experts.{{Cite news |last1=Johnson |first1=Eliana |author-link=Eliana Johnson |last2=Stephenson |first2=Emily |last3=Lippman |first3=Daniel |date=May 21, 2018 |title='Too inconvenient': Trump goes rogue on phone security |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/21/trump-phone-security-risk-hackers-601903 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200516184331/https://www.politico.com/story/2018/05/21/trump-phone-security-risk-hackers-601903 |archive-date=May 16, 2020 |access-date=November 2, 2019 |work=Politico}}

On October 24, 2018, The New York Times reported that Trump was still using his personal iPhones for phone calls, even though his aides and US intelligence officials have warned him that Russian and Chinese spies are listening.{{Cite news |last1=Rosenberg |first1=Matthew |author-link=Matthew Rosenberg |last2=Haberman |first2=Maggie |author-link2=Maggie Haberman |date=October 24, 2018 |title=When Trump Phones Friends, the Chinese and the Russians Listen and Learn |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/24/us/politics/trump-phone-security.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200129230802/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/10/24/us/politics/trump-phone-security.html |archive-date=January 29, 2020 |access-date=November 2, 2019 |work=The New York Times |language=en, es, zh}} Trump responded by tweeting: "I only use Government Phones." The tweet was sent from an iPhone.{{Cite news |last=Wolfe |first=Sean |date=October 25, 2018 |title=Trump's tweet claiming he only uses government phones was sent from an iPhone |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-tweet-only-uses-government-phones-sent-from-iphone-2018-10 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200531112731/https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-tweet-only-uses-government-phones-sent-from-iphone-2018-10 |archive-date=May 31, 2020 |access-date=November 2, 2019 |work=Business Insider}} (In the same tweet, he claimed that he has only one such government phone and that it is "seldom used".){{cite web |last=Vincent |first=James |date=October 25, 2018 |title=Trump tweets he only has one "seldom used" cellphone, via his iPhone |url=https://www.theverge.com/tldr/2018/10/25/18022080/trump-cell-phone-nyt-spies-seldom-used-mobile |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200730033913/https://www.theverge.com/tldr/2018/10/25/18022080/trump-cell-phone-nyt-spies-seldom-used-mobile |archive-date=July 30, 2020 |access-date=November 2, 2019 |website=The Verge}}

Trump's @realDonaldTrump Twitter account was breached twice by Dutch hacker Victor Gevers, both times by guessing weak passwords. The first incident took place in 2016, using the guessed password "yourefired". The password was guessed because it had previously been discovered in a 2012 LinkedIn password breach.{{cite web |last=Wyrich |first=Andrew |date=October 22, 2020 |title=Hacker claims to have accessed Trump's Twitter with 'maga2020!' password |url=https://www.dailydot.com/debug/trump-twitter-accessed-maga2020-password/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201103182152/https://www.dailydot.com/debug/trump-twitter-accessed-maga2020-password/ |archive-date=November 3, 2020 |access-date=December 17, 2020 |website=The Daily Dot}} The second incident took place in October 2020, when his account was breached by guessing the password "maga2020!".{{Cite news |last=Berger |first=Miriam |date=December 17, 2020 |title=Man really did hack Trump's Twitter account by guessing password, 'maga2020!,' Dutch prosecutors say |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/12/17/dutch-trump-twitter-password-hack/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201217154207/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/12/17/dutch-trump-twitter-password-hack/ |archive-date=December 17, 2020 |access-date=December 17, 2020 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}{{Cite news |last=Tidy |first=Joe |date=December 16, 2020 |title=Trump Twitter 'hack': Police accept attacker's claim |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-55337192 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201217193226/https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-55337192 |archive-date=December 17, 2020 |access-date=December 17, 2020 |work=BBC News}} Although reports of the second attack were denied by Twitter and the White House, they were later confirmed by Dutch prosecutors in December 2020.{{Cite news |date=December 16, 2020 |title=Trump's Twitter account was hacked, Dutch ministry confirms |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/dec/16/trumps-twitter-account-was-hacked-dutch-ministry-affirms |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201217163613/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/dec/16/trumps-twitter-account-was-hacked-dutch-ministry-affirms |archive-date=December 17, 2020 |access-date=December 17, 2020 |work=The Guardian |agency=Agence France-Presse}}

Throughout his presidency, Trump frequently appeared to issue orders through his tweets. Whether these tweets were official directives was unclear.{{Cite news |last=Spivak |first=Russell |date=August 2, 2017 |title=Trump's Transgender Tweet Isn't In Force Yet, But It's Close |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2017/08/02/trumps-transgender-tweet-isnt-in-force-yet-but-its-close/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200319175102/https://foreignpolicy.com/2017/08/02/trumps-transgender-tweet-isnt-in-force-yet-but-its-close/ |archive-date=March 19, 2020 |access-date=November 11, 2020 |work=Foreign Policy}}{{Cite news |last=Bracknell |first=Butch |date=April 24, 2020 |title=Yes, the President's tweets count as legitimate orders, no matter how confusing they seem |url=https://taskandpurpose.com/opinion/trump-tweets-military-orders |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200505155623/https://taskandpurpose.com/opinion/trump-tweets-military-orders |archive-date=May 5, 2020 |access-date=November 11, 2020 |website=Task & Purpose |type=opinion}} A US National Archives spokesman said that Trump's tweets are considered presidential records.{{Cite news |last=Johnson |first=Shontavia |date=February 19, 2018 |title=Donald Trump's tweets are now presidential records |url=https://www.pri.org/stories/2018-02-19/donald-trumps-tweets-are-now-presidential-records |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200406233624/https://www.pri.org/stories/2018-02-19/donald-trumps-tweets-are-now-presidential-records |archive-date=April 6, 2020 |access-date=November 11, 2020 |publisher=Public Radio International}}

In 2017, the Department of Justice argued in one court case that Trump's tweets were "official statements of the President of the United States".{{Cite news |last=Laird |first=Lorelei |date=November 14, 2017 |title=DOJ says Trump's tweets are official presidential statements |url=https://www.abajournal.com/news/article/government_says_trumps_tweets_are_official_presidential_statements |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200514233428/https://www.abajournal.com/news/article/government_says_trumps_tweets_are_official_presidential_statements |archive-date=May 14, 2020 |access-date=November 11, 2020 |website=ABA Journal}} In another case, the DOJ argued they were official policy statements but that the tweets were also "personal conduct that is not an exercise of state power". The ABA Journal wrote in 2017, "There's little caselaw on to what extent government use of social media can be considered official or a 'public forum,' which affords First Amendment protection to people who might be excluded based on their viewpoints."

In 2019, the Secretary of the US Navy said he did not interpret a Trump tweet as a "formal order to act" after Trump tweeted that the Navy should not take away Chief Petty Officer Edward Gallagher's status as a Navy SEAL.{{Cite news |last=Gillies |first=Rob |date=November 24, 2019 |title=Secretary of Navy says Trump's tweet is not a formal order |url=https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/secretary-navy-trumps-tweet-formal-order-67257130 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200920214450/https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/secretary-navy-trumps-tweet-formal-order-67257130 |archive-date=September 20, 2020 |access-date=November 11, 2020 |work=ABC News |agency=Associated Press}}

In 2020, a court asked that Trump clarify his intention after he tweeted what appeared to be an order calling for the disclosure of documents related to Russian interference in the 2016 election. In a court filing, White House chief of staff Mark Meadows said that: "The President indicated to me that his statements on Twitter were not self-executing declassification orders and do not require the declassification or release of any particular documents."{{Cite news |last=Gonzalez |first=Oriana |date=October 20, 2020 |title=Mark Meadows confirms in court Trump's tweets "declassifying" Russia documents were false |url=https://www.axios.com/mark-meadows-trump-tweets-russia-25ac5379-c19a-4978-bdd7-ab9577fe800e.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201122130845/https://www.axios.com/mark-meadows-trump-tweets-russia-25ac5379-c19a-4978-bdd7-ab9577fe800e.html |archive-date=November 22, 2020 |access-date=November 11, 2020 |work=Axios}}

In 2009, marketing staffer Peter Costanzo suggested to Trump that he could use social media to draw attention to his book, Think Like a Champion, which was due to be released later that year. He was unable to use the username @DonaldTrump, as it was already being used by a parody account. He and his marketing team decided to use the username @realDonaldTrump. Trump joined Twitter in March 2009 and sent out his first tweet on May 4, 2009, advertising his upcoming appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman, which was due to air a couple of days later.

From 2009 to 2011, tweets posted by the @realDonaldTrump account included the phrase "from Donald Trump" to distinguish them from those written by his staff, but by about June 2011, as Trump's use of the platform increased, those identifying labels disappeared. During the 2016 campaign, some tweets were sent from an Android phone, and others from an iPhone.{{cite magazine |last=Feinberg |first=Ashley |date=October 6, 2017 |title=How To Tell When Someone Else Tweets From @realDonaldTrump |url=https://www.wired.com/story/tell-when-someone-else-tweets-from-realdonaldtrump |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171006162932/https://www.wired.com/story/tell-when-someone-else-tweets-from-realdonaldtrump/ |archive-date=October 6, 2017 |access-date=October 6, 2017 |magazine=Wired}} The Android tweets were more likely to be sent outside of business hours and to take a more combative tone. The iPhone tweets were suspected to be written and sent by members of Trump's staff, a suspicion that was largely confirmed using sentiment analysis; machine learning and natural language processing could still frequently distinguish Trump's tweets from others sent in his name, even when staffers attempted to emulate his writing style.

In 2012, following the victory of Obama in the presidential election, Trump tweeted a chain of disparaging comments about Obama's win. He mocked Obama for playing basketball and blamed the Chinese for creating "the concept of global warming". Trump tweeted the next day, "but we'll have to live with it!" and: "We have to make America great again!"{{cite news |last=Krieg |first=Gregory |date=October 20, 2016 |title=Sound familiar? Trump called 2012 vote a 'total sham' |url=https://www.cnn.com/2016/10/18/politics/donald-trump-rigged-vote-twitter-2012/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200704035432/https://www.cnn.com/2016/10/18/politics/donald-trump-rigged-vote-twitter-2012/index.html |archive-date=July 4, 2020 |publisher=CNN}} In response, Obama sarcastically quipped on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno: "this all dates back to when [he and Trump] were growing up together in Kenya", referring to the birther conspiracy.{{Cite news |last=Visser |first=Josh |date=October 25, 2012 |title=Barack Obama explains source of Donald Trump grudge match: 'This all dates back to when we were growing up together in Kenya' |url=https://nationalpost.com/news/barack-obama-explains-source-of-donald-trump-grudge-match-this-all-dates-back-to-when-we-were-growing-up-together-in-kenya |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20201218011913/https://nationalpost.com/news/barack-obama-explains-source-of-donald-trump-grudge-match-this-all-dates-back-to-when-we-were-growing-up-together-in-kenya |archive-date=December 18, 2020 |access-date=December 17, 2020 |work=National Post}}{{cite web |last=Nordyke |first=Kimberly |date=November 6, 2012 |title=Donald Trump Goes on Twitter Rant, Calls for 'March on Washington' After Obama Wins Re-Election |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/president-obama-elected-donald-trump-387275 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200801091709/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/president-obama-elected-donald-trump-387275 |archive-date=August 1, 2020 |website=The Hollywood Reporter}}

Trump's Twitter activity significantly increased beginning in 2013; he tweeted more frequently and with more politically charged rhetoric.{{cite news |last=Fandos |first=Nicholas |author-link=Nicholas Fandos |date=April 7, 2017 |title=Trump's View of Syria: How It Evolved, in 19 Tweets |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/07/us/politics/donald-trump-syria-twitter.html |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200530110836/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/07/us/politics/donald-trump-syria-twitter.html |archive-date=May 30, 2020 |work=The New York Times}}{{cite magazine |last=Hoffman |first=Ashley |date=April 6, 2017 |title=22 Tweets That Came Back to Haunt President Trump |url=https://time.com/4724135/donald-trump-tweets-retweets-didnt-age-well/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200518050844/https://time.com/4724135/donald-trump-tweets-retweets-didnt-age-well/ |archive-date=May 18, 2020 |magazine=Time}}

Twitter was an important tool in Trump's 2016 presidential election campaign, and has been credited as contributing to his victory. Former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci recalled that Trump: "felt that there was no separation between his brand and the media, that there was an intersection of value for himself personally between his brand and saturating it in the media".{{cite news |last1=Rogers |first1=Katie |last2=Haberman |first2=Maggie |author-link2=Maggie Haberman |date=April 16, 2019 |title=This Just In! Waiting for Mueller, Trump Passes Time Commenting on the News |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/16/us/politics/trump-news-mueller.html |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200506213119/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/16/us/politics/trump-news-mueller.html |archive-date=May 6, 2020 |access-date=April 17, 2019 |work=The New York Times}} Daniel Pfeiffer, Obama's former strategy communications advisor, commented that Trump is: "way better at the internet than anyone else in the GOP which is partly why he is winning".{{cite news |last=Parkinson |first=Hannah Jane |date=December 23, 2015 |title=Can Donald Trump's social media genius take him all the way to the White House? |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/dec/23/donald-trump-social-media-strategy-internet-republican-nomination-president |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200730005349/https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2015/dec/23/donald-trump-social-media-strategy-internet-republican-nomination-president |archive-date=July 30, 2020 |access-date=April 25, 2016 |work=The Guardian}} According to The New York Times, other presidential aides have described Trump "as a sophisticated version of a parrot, given his penchant for repeating information almost unfiltered, as soon as he had processed it".

In October 2017, Trump was described as "possibly the first 'social media' and 'reality TV' president" in an article by Van Jones on CNN's website. Following Trump's inauguration, he gained control of the official US presidential Twitter account (@POTUS), which had been created by Obama. Trump's first tweets as president were made from his personal account, but he used both accounts. After Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election, Twitter handed over the @POTUS account to Biden upon his inauguration on January 20, 2021.{{Cite news |last=Spangler |first=Todd |date=November 20, 2020 |title=Twitter Will Transfer POTUS Account to Biden in January |url=https://variety.com/2020/digital/news/twitter-potus-president-biden-trump-1234837310/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201210112237/https://variety.com/2020/digital/news/twitter-potus-president-biden-trump-1234837310/ |archive-date=December 10, 2020 |access-date=November 21, 2020 |website=Variety}}

Trump frequently watched the Fox News show Fox & Friends and often tweeted reactions to what he had seen on the show. For example, on January 2, 2018, Trump tweeted that his "Nuclear Button" was "much bigger & more powerful" than Kim Jong-un's, following a Fox News segment about Kim's "nuclear button" minutes before. During his presidency, Trump watched several hours of cable news shows each day, using the "Super TiVo" he had installed at the White House.{{Cite news |last1=Haberman |first1=Maggie |last2=Thrush |first2=Glenn |last3=Baker |first3=Peter |date=December 9, 2017 |title=Inside Trump's Hour-by-Hour Battle for Self-Preservation |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/09/us/politics/donald-trump-president.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171211030149/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/12/09/us/politics/donald-trump-president.html |archive-date=December 11, 2017 |access-date=April 15, 2018 |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331}} In 2018, news organizations had compiled lists of Trump tweets directly repeating what he was watching. The result was that stories that Fox concentrates on became nationally important stories by virtue of the fact that they appear in presidential tweets, setting up a feedback loop.{{cite news |last=Gertz |first=Matthew |date=January 5, 2018 |title=I've Studied the Trump-Fox Feedback Loop for Months. It's Crazier Than You Think. |url=https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/01/05/trump-media-feedback-loop-216248 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227040612/https://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2018/01/05/trump-media-feedback-loop-216248/ |archive-date=February 27, 2021 |access-date=January 24, 2018 |work=Politico}} During his first year in office, he mentioned the Fox & Friends Twitter account more than any other account.{{cite web |title=Trump Twitter Archive |url=http://www.trumptwitterarchive.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200914235814/http://www.trumptwitterarchive.com/ |archive-date=September 14, 2020 |access-date=January 24, 2018 |website=trumptwitterarchive.com}}

In January 2016, a review by The New York Times found that one in every eight posts by Trump on Twitter "was a personal insult of some kind". From the beginning of his term until May 2019, Trump had insulted 598 people (including private citizens), places, and things on Twitter; targets of insults included politicians, journalists, news outlets, television hosts and programs, former staffers and associates, government agencies, business leaders, books critical of him, the State of California and State of New York, and entire countries. The New York Times published an inventory of all of Trump's Twitter insults from 2015 until January 2021.{{Cite news |last=Quealy |first=Kevin |date=January 19, 2021 |title=The Complete List of Trump's Twitter Insults (2015-2021) |url=https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/01/19/upshot/trump-complete-insult-list.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210304175107/https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/01/19/upshot/trump-complete-insult-list.html |archive-date=March 4, 2021 |access-date=January 20, 2021 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}

Trump often gave opponents nicknames such as "Crooked Hillary"{{cite news |last1=Bennett |first1=John T. |date=August 2, 2018 |title=Top 10 Trump Nicknames and Why They Stick to His Foes |url=https://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/power-rankings-top-10-trump-nicknames-stick-foes |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191225222618/https://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/power-rankings-top-10-trump-nicknames-stick-foes |archive-date=December 25, 2019 |access-date=February 19, 2019 |website=Roll Call}} and "Lyin' Ted".{{cite news |last1=Estepa |first1=Jessica |title=It's not just 'Rocket Man.' Trump has long history of nicknaming his foes |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2017/09/21/its-not-just-rocket-man-trump-has-long-history-nicknaming-his-foes/688552001/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170921182217/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2017/09/21/its-not-just-rocket-man-trump-has-long-history-nicknaming-his-foes/688552001/ |archive-date=September 21, 2017 |access-date=September 21, 2017 |work=USA Today}}{{cite web |title=The Method Behind Donald Trump's Nickname Madness |url=https://www.flocku.com/articles/the-method-behind-donald-trump-s-nickname-madness |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922001950/https://www.flocku.com/articles/the-method-behind-donald-trump-s-nickname-madness |archive-date=September 22, 2017 |access-date=September 21, 2017 |website=Flocku}} In 2015, he tweeted against an 18-year-old college student who had challenged him at a New Hampshire political forum, which led to a wave of online harassment against her. In December 2016, as president-elect, he responded to criticism from the president of United Steelworkers Local 1999 in Indiana by tweeting that the local union leader "has done a terrible job representing workers"; the union president received threatening phone calls afterward.

File:Donald_Trump_meets_with_the_Emir_of_Qatar_(Sheikh_Tamim_bin_Hamad_Al_Thani),_May_2017.jpg Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, May 2017]]

In 2017, the Qatar diplomatic crisis erupted. An escalation of the Qatar–Saudi Arabia diplomatic conflict, it began when Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, and Egypt abruptly cut off diplomatic relations with Qatar, alleging that the Qatari government supported terrorists.{{cite news |date=June 14, 2017 |title=Doha's Actions May Destabilize the Region: Saudi Minister |url=http://newsweekme.com/dohas-actions-may-destabilize-region-saudi-minister/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170614174504/http://newsweekme.com/dohas-actions-may-destabilize-region-saudi-minister/ |archive-date=June 14, 2017 |access-date=July 2, 2017 |work=Newsweek ME}} The severing of relations included withdrawing ambassadors, and imposing trade and travel bans.{{cite news |title=Qatar row: Trump claims credit for isolation |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-40175935 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170607013027/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-40175935 |archive-date=June 7, 2017 |publisher=BBC News}} In a series of tweets, Trump praised the Gulf nations' move against Qatar, took credit for engineering the crisis, and repeatedly criticized Qatar, undermining simultaneous efforts by Trump's Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, US ambassador to Qatar Dana Shell Smith, and Secretary of Defense James Mattis, all of whom took a neutral stance, called for dialogue and compromise in the interests of regional security, and noted that Qatar hosted the Al Udeid Air Base.[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jun/06/qatar-panic-buying-as-shoppers-stockpile-food-due-to-saudi-blockade Donald Trump tweets support for blockade imposed on Qatar] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210202072311/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jun/06/qatar-panic-buying-as-shoppers-stockpile-food-due-to-saudi-blockade|date=February 2, 2021}}, The Guardian (June 6, 2017).{{cite news |date=June 6, 2017 |title=U.S. military praises Qatar, despite Trump tweet |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-gulf-qatar-usa-pentagon-idUSKBN18X2G2 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170607190432/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-gulf-qatar-usa-pentagon-idUSKBN18X2G2 |archive-date=June 7, 2017 |access-date=June 8, 2017 |work=Reuters}}{{cite news |title=Trump appears to take credit for Gulf nations' move against Qatar |url=http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/06/politics/trump-qatar-ideology/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170607002540/http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/06/politics/trump-qatar-ideology/ |archive-date=June 7, 2017 |publisher=CNN}}{{cite news |date=June 5, 2017 |title=Tillerson says break with Qatar by Saudi Arabia, others won't affect counter-terrorism |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/05/tillerson-says-break-with-qatar-by-saudi-arabia-others-wont-affect-counter-terrorism.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170605081330/https://www.cnbc.com/2017/06/05/tillerson-says-break-with-qatar-by-saudi-arabia-others-wont-affect-counter-terrorism.html |archive-date=June 5, 2017 |access-date=June 5, 2017 |publisher=CNBC}}

{{Main|2017–2018 North Korea crisis}}

{{tweet

| name = Donald J. Trump

| image = Donald Trump official portrait (cropped).jpg

| username = realDonaldTrump

| text = The🇺🇸has great strength & patience, but if it is forced to defend itself or its allies, we will have no choice but to totally destroy #NoKo.

| id = 910192375267561472

| date = September 19, 2017

| access-date = July 30, 2018

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180425142125/https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/910192375267561472

| archive-date = April 25, 2018

| url-status = dead

| ref-name = TweetrealDonaldTrump_2

}}

In September 2017, Trump posted tweets about North Korea that some saw as violating Twitter's rule against making threats of violence. On September 19, he stated that under certain circumstances, "we will have no choice but to totally destroy #NoKo", and on September 23, "Just heard Foreign Minister of North Korea speak at U.N. If he echoes thoughts of Little Rocket Man, they won't be around much longer!" ("Little Rocket Man" was Trump's nickname for North Korean leader Kim Jong-un). In response to user concerns, Twitter cited newsworthiness and whether the tweet is of public interest as factors they consider in whether a tweet violates their rules. The company acknowledged that these guidelines are internal, and stated they would update their public-facing rules to reflect them.{{cite news |last1=Johnson |first1=Alex |date=September 25, 2017 |title=Twitter Promises to Clarify Rules in Wake of Trump North Korea Threat Tweets |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/twitter-promises-clarify-rules-wake-trump-north-korea-threat-tweets-n804691 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170926001931/https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/twitter-promises-clarify-rules-wake-trump-north-korea-threat-tweets-n804691 |archive-date=September 26, 2017 |access-date=September 25, 2017 |work=NBC News}}

{{Further|Iran–United States relations#2017–2021: First Trump administration}}

On January 4, 2020, Trump threatened in a tweet that "if Iran strikes any Americans, or American assets", it could expect that "52 Iranian sites (representing the 52 American hostages taken by Iran many years ago)...important to Iran & the Iranian culture" would be "HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD". Deliberately targeting cultural sites would have been a war crime. The next day, he tweeted: "Should Iran strike any U.S. person or target, the United States will quickly & fully strike back, & perhaps in a disproportionate manner."{{cite web |last=Rupar |first=Aaron |date=January 6, 2020 |title="These Media Posts will serve as notification": Trump's dangerous Iran tweets, briefly explained |url=https://www.vox.com/2020/1/6/21051550/trump-iran-tweets-soleimani-war-powers-act |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210109110610/https://www.vox.com/2020/1/6/21051550/trump-iran-tweets-soleimani-war-powers-act |archive-date=January 9, 2021 |access-date=January 13, 2021 |website=Vox |language=en}}

Trump has been criticized for his practice of retweeting or copying material from social media accounts posting antisemitic, racist, or false information, such as claims exaggerating the number of crimes committed by black people.{{cite news |last1=Diamond |first1=Jeremy |title=Donald Trump's 'Star of David' tweet controversy, explained |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/04/politics/donald-trump-star-of-david-tweet-explained/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922003747/http://edition.cnn.com/2016/07/04/politics/donald-trump-star-of-david-tweet-explained/index.html |archive-date=September 22, 2017 |access-date=September 21, 2017 |publisher=CNN}}{{cite web |title=Donald Trump's 'Star of David' tweet: a recap |url=http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2016/jul/05/donald-trumps-star-david-tweet-recap/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170913141352/http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2016/jul/05/donald-trumps-star-david-tweet-recap/ |archive-date=September 13, 2017 |access-date=September 21, 2017 |website=PolitiFact}}{{cite news |last1=Pearce |first1=Matt |title=Once again, Trump tweets a meme linked to a brazen racist |url=https://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-trump-reddit-20170703-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170704192615/http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-trump-reddit-20170703-story.html |archive-date=July 4, 2017 |access-date=September 21, 2017 |work=Los Angeles Times}}

PolitiFact singled out as particularly obviously false an image retweeted by Trump that claimed that 81 percent of white murder victims are killed by black people. PolitiFact noted that, besides being a five-fold exaggeration, the claim was sourced to the non-existent "Crime Statistics Bureau, San Francisco"; it later highlighted this retweet when awarding its 2015 "Lie of the Year" badge to Trump's entire presidential campaign.{{cite web |title=Trump's Pants on Fire tweet that blacks killed 81% of white homicide victims |url=http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/nov/23/donald-trump/trump-tweet-blacks-white-homicide-victims/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170920112921/http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/nov/23/donald-trump/trump-tweet-blacks-white-homicide-victims/ |archive-date=September 20, 2017 |access-date=September 21, 2017 |website=PolitiFact}}{{cite web |last1=Holan |first1=Angie |last2=Qiu |first2=Linda |title=2015 Lie of the Year: the campaign misstatements of Donald Trump |url=http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2015/dec/21/2015-lie-year-donald-trump-campaign-misstatements/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160327081358/http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2015/dec/21/2015-lie-year-donald-trump-campaign-misstatements/ |archive-date=March 27, 2016 |access-date=September 22, 2017 |website=PolitiFact}} The fake statistics were first posted by a neo-Nazi Twitter account.

An image posted by Trump on July 2, 2016, called Hillary Clinton the "Most Corrupt Candidate Ever!" and featured a six-pointed star reminiscent of the Jewish Star of David; the image first appeared in a June 15 tweet by @FishBoneHead1, a Twitter account described by the Associated Press as being known for "anti-Clinton and right-leaning messages and images" and by Mic as promoting "violent, racist memes", before making its way to 8chan's /pol/ on June 22.{{cite web |last1=Smith |first1=Anthony |date=July 3, 2016 |title=Donald Trump's Star of David Hillary Clinton Meme Was Created by White Supremacists |url=https://mic.com/articles/147711/donald-trump-s-star-of-david-hillary-clinton-meme-was-created-by-white-supremacists |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211125183513/https://www.mic.com/articles/147711/donald-trump-s-star-of-david-hillary-clinton-meme-was-created-by-white-supremacists |archive-date=November 25, 2021 |access-date=September 21, 2017 |website=Mic}}{{cite news |last=Lee |first=Michelle Ye Hee |date=July 6, 2016 |title=Everything you wanted to know about Trump and the six-pointed star |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2016/07/06/everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-trump-and-the-six-pointed-star/ |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171014034715/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/fact-checker/wp/2016/07/06/everything-you-wanted-to-know-about-trump-and-the-six-pointed-star/ |archive-date=October 14, 2017 |access-date=October 7, 2017 |newspaper=The Washington Post}} Trump's social media manager Dan Scavino responded that the image had been sourced by him from a Twitter page "where countless images appear" and that he had assumed that the star referred to a sheriff's badge.{{cite news |last1=Golshan |first1=Tara |date=July 7, 2016 |title=Donald Trump used an alt-right Frozen meme to defend his other Star of David meme |url=https://www.vox.com/2016/7/7/12116242/trump-frozen-antisemitic-meme-clinton |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922001744/https://www.vox.com/2016/7/7/12116242/trump-frozen-antisemitic-meme-clinton |archive-date=September 22, 2017 |access-date=September 21, 2017 |work=Vox}} Less than two hours later, the tweet was deleted from Trump's account in favor of a nearly identical tweet with a circle in place of the star, but Trump later blamed the deletion on his staff, stating: "I would've rather defended it."{{cite news |last=Collins |first=Eliza |date=July 7, 2016 |title=Trump on six-pointed star: Can't let it go |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2016/07/07/trump-six-pointed-star-frozen/86795732/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171007121131/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2016/07/07/trump-six-pointed-star-frozen/86795732/ |archive-date=October 7, 2017 |access-date=October 7, 2017 |work=USA Today}} Jeremy Diamond of CNN observed: "It wasn't the six-pointed star alone that evoked anti-Semitism – it's the combination of the star with a background of money and an accusation of corruption, which suggests stereotypical views of Jews and money and raises conspiracy theories that Jews control political systems."{{cite news |last=Diamond |first=Jeremy |date=July 5, 2016 |title=Donald Trump's 'Star of David' tweet controversy, explained |url=http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/04/politics/donald-trump-star-of-david-tweet-explained/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170926144625/http://www.cnn.com/2016/07/04/politics/donald-trump-star-of-david-tweet-explained/index.html |archive-date=September 26, 2017 |access-date=October 7, 2017 |publisher=CNN}} The episode led Dana Schwartz, a Jewish employee of Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, to write an open letter to him in protest, to which he responded.{{cite news |last1=Schwartz |first1=Dana |title=An Open Letter to Jared Kushner, From One of Your Jewish Employees |url=http://observer.com/2016/07/an-open-letter-to-jared-kushner-from-one-of-your-jewish-employees/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170924111711/http://observer.com/2016/07/an-open-letter-to-jared-kushner-from-one-of-your-jewish-employees/ |archive-date=September 24, 2017 |access-date=September 21, 2017 |website=The New York Observer}}{{cite magazine |last1=Nguyen |first1=Tina |date=July 8, 2016 |title=Dana Schwartz isn't buying Jared Kushner's Trump Defence |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/07/dana-schwartz-jared-kushner-interview |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161209195809/http://www.vanityfair.com/news/2016/07/dana-schwartz-jared-kushner-interview |archive-date=December 9, 2016 |access-date=September 21, 2017 |magazine=Vanity Fair}}

{{Further|CNN controversies##CNNBlackmail controversy}}

On July 2, 2017, Trump tweeted a video of himself attacking Vince McMahon during WrestleMania 23 with the CNN logo over McMahon's face. In response, Brian Stelter of CNN issued a statement saying that Trump was "encouraging violence against reporters" and "involved in juvenile behavior far below the dignity of his office".{{cite news |last1=Nakamura |first1=David |date=July 2, 2017 |title=Trump appears to promote violence against CNN with tweet |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/07/02/trump-appears-to-promote-violence-against-cnn-with-tweet/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170702152218/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/07/02/trump-appears-to-promote-violence-against-cnn-with-tweet/ |archive-date=July 2, 2017 |access-date=July 2, 2017 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}{{cite news |last1=Disis |first1=Jill |date=July 2, 2017 |title=CNN: Trump's latest tweet 'encourages violence against reporters' |url=https://money.cnn.com/2017/07/02/media/cnn-trump-wwe-tweet/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170702162650/https://money.cnn.com/2017/07/02/media/cnn-trump-wwe-tweet/index.html |archive-date=July 2, 2017 |access-date=July 2, 2017 |publisher=CNNMoney}}{{cite magazine |last1=Abramson |first1=Alana |date=July 2, 2017 |title=Trump Just Tweeted a Video of Him Punching CNN in the Face |url=https://time.com/4843303/donald-trump-twitter-cnn-video/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170702150151/http://time.com/4843303/donald-trump-twitter-cnn-video/ |archive-date=July 2, 2017 |access-date=July 2, 2017 |magazine=Time}}{{cite news |last1=Pengelly |first1=Martin |last2=Walters |first2=Joanna |date=July 2, 2017 |title=Trump wrestling body-slam tweet 'encourages violence against reporters', CNN says |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jul/02/trump-body-slam-cnn-tweet-violence-reporters-wrestlemania |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170702160050/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jul/02/trump-body-slam-cnn-tweet-violence-reporters-wrestlemania |archive-date=July 2, 2017 |access-date=July 2, 2017 |work=The Guardian}} CNN also responded to the tweet by quoting Sarah Huckabee Sanders who claimed the previous week "The president in no way form or fashion has ever promoted or encouraged violence." Homeland Security Advisor Tom Bossert said that "no one would perceive [the tweet] as a threat".{{cite news |last1=Alva |first1=Mitchell |date=July 2, 2017 |title='No one would perceive that as a threat,' adviser says of Trump's CNN tweet |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-genuine-president-homeland-security-official/story?id=48392899 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170702162859/http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-genuine-president-homeland-security-official/story?id=48392899 |archive-date=July 2, 2017 |access-date=July 2, 2017 |work=ABC News}} Trump subsequently said that CNN took the post too seriously, adding that CNN has "hurt themselves very badly".{{cite news |last1=Borchers |first1=Callum |date=July 6, 2017 |title=Trump took a question from a reporter he considered hiring and used it to bash the media |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/07/06/trump-took-a-question-from-a-reporter-he-considered-hiring-and-used-it-to-bash-the-media/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170706152502/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/07/06/trump-took-a-question-from-a-reporter-he-considered-hiring-and-used-it-to-bash-the-media/ |archive-date=July 6, 2017 |access-date=July 6, 2017 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}

The clip appeared on pro-Trump subreddit, r/The Donald, about four days earlier,{{cite news |last1=Silva |first1=Daniella |date=July 2, 2017 |title=Trump tweets video of himself body slamming 'CNN' |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/president-trump-tweets-wwe-video-himself-attacking-cnn-n779031 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170702162502/http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/president-trump-tweets-wwe-video-himself-attacking-cnn-n779031 |archive-date=July 2, 2017 |access-date=July 2, 2017 |work=NBC News}}{{cite news |date=July 2, 2017 |title=Donald Trump posts video clip of him 'beating' CNN in wrestling |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40474118 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170704080729/http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40474118 |archive-date=July 4, 2017 |access-date=July 2, 2017 |work=BBC News}}{{cite news |last1=Grynbaum |first1=Michael M. |date=July 2, 2017 |title=Trump Tweets a Video of Him Wrestling 'CNN' to the Ground |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/02/business/media/trump-wrestling-video-cnn-twitter.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170702183957/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/02/business/media/trump-wrestling-video-cnn-twitter.html |archive-date=July 2, 2017 |access-date=July 2, 2017 |work=The New York Times}} and was created by a Reddit account which had previously posted racist, antisemitic and bigoted content.{{cite news |last1=Gabbatt |first1=Adam |date=July 5, 2017 |title=Reddit user who created anti-CNN gif used by Trump says sorry for racist posts |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jul/05/reddit-user-hanassholesolo-gif-trump-cnn-tweet |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170705235512/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jul/05/reddit-user-hanassholesolo-gif-trump-cnn-tweet |archive-date=July 5, 2017 |access-date=July 6, 2017 |work=The Guardian}} A White House official later denied that the video came from Reddit; the official "declined to respond to questions about where the president obtained the clip".{{cite news |last1=Shankar |first1=Dakshayani |date=July 3, 2017 |title=WH says Trump didn't obtain CNN wrestling video from Reddit |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/white-house-trump-obtain-cnn-wrestling-video-reddit/story?id=48422665 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170704191836/http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/white-house-trump-obtain-cnn-wrestling-video-reddit/story?id=48422665 |archive-date=July 4, 2017 |access-date=July 4, 2017 |work=ABC News}} {{As of|2017|12|20|df=US}}, the tweet had been retweeted over 330,000 times, making it Trump's most retweeted post.{{cite news |last1=Keith |first1=Tamara |date=December 20, 2018 |title=From 'Covfefe' To Slamming CNN: Trump's Year In Tweets |url=https://www.npr.org/2017/12/20/571617079/a-year-of-the-trump-presidency-in-tweets |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201006075248/https://www.npr.org/2017/12/20/571617079/a-year-of-the-trump-presidency-in-tweets |archive-date=October 6, 2020 |access-date=December 21, 2018 |publisher=NPR}}

File:President Donald J. Trump shares a moment with United Kingdom Prime Minister Theresa May (cropped).jpg in the Oval Office at the White House in January 2017. The May government condemned Trump's tweets and Britain First.]]

On November 29, 2017, Trump retweeted three inflammatory and unverified anti-Muslim videos from Britain First, a British far-right and ultranationalist group that has a history of posting misleading videos.{{cite news |last1=Parker |first1=Ashley |last2=Wagner |first2=John |date=November 29, 2017 |title=Trump retweets inflammatory and unverified anti-Muslim videos |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/11/29/trump-retweets-inflammatory-and-unverified-anti-muslim-videos/ |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171129230340/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/11/29/trump-retweets-inflammatory-and-unverified-anti-muslim-videos/ |archive-date=November 29, 2017 |access-date=October 27, 2018 |newspaper=The Washington Post}} One of the videos purported to show an assault by a Muslim immigrant, but the assailant was neither a Muslim nor an immigrant.{{cite news |last1=Baynes |first1=Chris |date=December 30, 2017 |title=Woman who shared Britain First tweets with Donald Trump says it is 'irrelevant' they are misleading |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/ann-coulter-britain-first-donald-trump-retweets-videos-migrants-netherlands-muslim-racist-a8084026.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200608214205/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/ann-coulter-britain-first-donald-trump-retweets-videos-migrants-netherlands-muslim-racist-a8084026.html |archive-date=June 8, 2020 |access-date=December 1, 2017 |work=The Independent}} Another video was filmed in 2013 during the Syrian Civil War, showing a man, who is believed to be an Al-Nusra supporter, destroying a statue of Mary and stating: "No-one but Allah will be worshipped in the land of the Levant." A third video contains footage filmed during a period of violent unrest in Egypt following the 2013 overthrow of that country's president Mohamed Morsi.{{cite news |last1=Lawless |first1=Jill |date=November 29, 2017 |title=Trump's Muslim retweets draw fire from US and abroad |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/trumps-muslim-retweets-draw-fire-from-us-and-abroad/2017/11/29/19166c60-d52c-11e7-9ad9-ca0619edfa05_story.html |url-access=limited |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171130123926/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/courts_law/trumps-muslim-retweets-draw-fire-from-us-and-abroad/2017/11/29/19166c60-d52c-11e7-9ad9-ca0619edfa05_story.html |archive-date=November 30, 2017 |access-date=November 30, 2017 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}{{cite news |last1=Harrison |first1=Angus |date=November 29, 2017 |title=The Truth Behind Those Anti-Muslim Videos Donald Trump Just Retweeted |url=https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/qvzdb5/the-truth-behind-those-anti-muslim-videos-donald-trump-just-retweeted |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171130024631/https://www.vice.com/en_ca/article/qvzdb5/the-truth-behind-those-anti-muslim-videos-donald-trump-just-retweeted |archive-date=November 30, 2017 |access-date=November 29, 2017 |work=Vice}}{{cite news |date=November 29, 2017 |title=Trump account retweets anti-Muslim videos |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42166663 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171129120212/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-42166663 |archive-date=November 29, 2017 |access-date=November 29, 2017 |work=BBC News}}[https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/11/29/the-murky-origins-of-the-britain-first-videos-trump-retweeted/ The murky origins of the 'Britain First' videos Trump retweeted] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107064707/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/11/29/the-murky-origins-of-the-britain-first-videos-trump-retweeted/|date=January 7, 2021}}, The Washington Post, November 29, 2017 The videos had been shared by Britain First deputy leader Jayda Fransen, who was convicted of religiously aggravated harassment in Britain in 2016. Trump's promoting inflammatory content from an extremist group was without precedent among modern American presidents.{{cite news |last1=Baker |first1=Peter |author-link1=Peter Baker (journalist) |last2=Sullivan |first2=Eileen |author-link2=Eileen Sullivan |last3=Dan |first3=Bilefsky |author-link3=Dan Bilefsky |last4=Haberman |first4=Maggie |author-link4=Maggie Haberman |last5=Specia |first5=Megan |last6=Goldstein |first6=Laurie |last7=McIntire |first7=Mike |last8=Martin |first8=Jonathan |author-link8=Jonathan Martin (journalist) |last9=Kaplan |first9=Thomas |date=November 29, 2017 |title=Trump Shares Inflammatory Anti-Muslim Videos, and Britain's Leader Condemns Them |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/29/us/politics/trump-anti-muslim-videos-jayda-fransen.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171129232405/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/29/us/politics/trump-anti-muslim-videos-jayda-fransen.html |archive-date=November 29, 2017 |work=The New York Times |quote=No modern American president has promoted inflammatory content of this sort from an extremist organization. Mr. Trump's two most recent predecessors, George W. Bush and Barack Obama, both made a point of avoiding public messages that were likely to be seen as anti-Muslim and could exacerbate racial and religious animosities, arguing that the war against terrorism was not a war against Islam. |last10=Shear |first10=Michael D.}}

Trump's actions were widely condemned both in the US and abroad by politicians, commentators and religious leaders of various faiths and across the political spectrum; also by several civil rights and advocacy groups and organizations.{{cite news |last1=Gillett |first1=Francesca |date=November 29, 2017 |title=Donald Trump retweets Britain First deputy: Theresa May condemns US President for sharing anti-Muslim videos |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/donald-trump-retweets-britain-first-deputy-theresa-may-condemns-us-president-for-sharing-antimuslim-a3705396.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171129195923/https://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/donald-trump-retweets-britain-first-deputy-theresa-may-condemns-us-president-for-sharing-antimuslim-a3705396.html |archive-date=November 29, 2017 |access-date=November 29, 2017 |work=London Evening Standard}}{{cite news |last1=Allen |first1=Nick |last2=Emanuel |first2=Louis |date=November 29, 2017 |title=Donald Trump re-tweets anti-Muslim videos from British far-Right group |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/11/29/trump-shared-muslim-crimes-videos-tweeted-british-far-right/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171129141615/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/11/29/trump-shared-muslim-crimes-videos-tweeted-british-far-right/ |archive-date=November 29, 2017 |access-date=November 29, 2017 |work=The Daily Telegraph}}{{cite magazine |last1=John |first1=Tara |date=November 29, 2017 |title=3 Things to Know About Britain First, the Far-Right Group President Trump Retweeted |url=https://time.com/5040627/britain-first-trump-tweet/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171129175002/http://time.com/5040627/britain-first-trump-tweet/ |archive-date=November 29, 2017 |access-date=November 29, 2017 |magazine=Time}}{{cite news |last1=Belam |first1=Martin |last2=Holmes |first2=Oliver |date=November 30, 2017 |title='Evil racist': how the UK reacted to Trump's Theresa May Twitter attack |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/nov/30/evil-racist-how-the-uk-reacted-to-trumps-theresa-may-twitter-attack |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171130110916/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/nov/30/evil-racist-how-the-uk-reacted-to-trumps-theresa-may-twitter-attack |archive-date=November 30, 2017 |access-date=November 30, 2017 |work=The Guardian}}{{cite news |date=November 29, 2017 |title=Donald Trump retweets Britain First deputy leader's Islamophobic posts |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-britain-first-retweet-muslim-migrants-jayda-fransen-deputy-leader-a8082001.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171129125553/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-britain-first-retweet-muslim-migrants-jayda-fransen-deputy-leader-a8082001.html |archive-date=November 29, 2017 |access-date=November 29, 2017 |work=The Independent}} The incident resulted in calls for Trump to be banned from the UK,[https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-42174937/jo-cox-widower-trump-legitimising-hatred Jo Cox widower: Trump 'legitimising' hatred] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171130013313/http://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-42174937/jo-cox-widower-trump-legitimising-hatred|date=November 30, 2017}}, BBC News (November 20, 2017).Brendan Cox, [https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/nov/29/donald-trump-britain-first-hate-best-response-tolerance By retweeting Britain First, Trump offends a decency he cannot understand] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171130014658/https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/nov/29/donald-trump-britain-first-hate-best-response-tolerance|date=November 30, 2017}}, The Guardian (November 29, 2017). but his invitation to visit the United Kingdom was not withdrawn.{{cite news |date=November 29, 2017 |title=The Latest: Sanders defends Trump post of anti-Muslim videos |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/the-latest-us-muslim-civil-rights-group-condemns-trump/2017/11/29/642c1cfa-d512-11e7-9ad9-ca0619edfa05_story.html |url-access=limited |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171129162629/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/the-latest-us-muslim-civil-rights-group-condemns-trump/2017/11/29/642c1cfa-d512-11e7-9ad9-ca0619edfa05_story.html |archive-date=November 29, 2017 |access-date=November 29, 2017 |newspaper=The Washington Post}} When asked by PBS NewsHour, 29 Democratic and four Republican senators criticized the tweets.{{cite news |last1=Desjardins |first1=Lisa |last2=Bush |first2=Daniel |date=November 29, 2017 |title=We asked every senator for their reaction to Trump's anti-Muslim retweets |url=https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/we-asked-every-senator-for-their-reaction-to-trumps-anti-muslim-retweets |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210211045959/https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/we-asked-every-senator-for-their-reaction-to-trumps-anti-muslim-retweets |archive-date=February 11, 2021 |access-date=November 30, 2017 |work=PBS NewsHour}}{{cite news |last1=Masters |first1=James |last2=Landers |first2=Elizabeth |date=November 29, 2017 |title=Trump retweets anti-Muslim videos |url=http://edition.cnn.com/2017/11/29/politics/donald-trump-retweet-jayda-fransen/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171129152208/http://edition.cnn.com/2017/11/29/politics/donald-trump-retweet-jayda-fransen/index.html |archive-date=November 29, 2017 |access-date=November 29, 2017 |publisher=CNN}} Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Theresa May said in a statement, "it is wrong for the president to have done this" and "Britain First seeks to divide communities through their use of hateful narratives which peddle lies and stoke tensions."{{cite news |last=Smith |first=Saphora |date=November 30, 2017 |title=British PM May issues rare rebuke of Trump for retweeting anti-Muslim videos |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/president-trump-retweets-anti-muslim-videos-posted-far-right-u-n824836 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125200408/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/president-trump-retweets-anti-muslim-videos-posted-far-right-u-n824836 |archive-date=January 25, 2021 |access-date=November 30, 2017 |work=NBC News}} Then Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson called Britain First a "hateful" organization which does not reflect British values. However, he did abstain from calling out Trump for sharing the videos.{{Cite news |title=Boris Johnson fails to condemn Donald Trump in statement on Britain First tweets that Trump shared |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-britain-first-trump-tweet-tory-mp-condemns-group-us-president-rt-a8083386.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210211050058/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-britain-first-trump-tweet-tory-mp-condemns-group-us-president-rt-a8083386.html |archive-date=February 11, 2021 |access-date=June 28, 2020 |work=The Independent}}

Trump's sharing of the tweets was praised across far-right circles, increased Islamophobic comment on social media, and elevated the profile of Britain First.William Booth & Karla Adam, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/trumps-tweets-elevate-a-tiny-fringe-group-of-anti-muslim-activists-in-britain/2017/11/29/02489a42-d515-11e7-9ad9-ca0619edfa05_story.html Trump's retweets elevate a tiny fringe group of anti-Muslim activists in Britain] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171129233318/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/trumps-tweets-elevate-a-tiny-fringe-group-of-anti-muslim-activists-in-britain/2017/11/29/02489a42-d515-11e7-9ad9-ca0619edfa05_story.html|date=November 29, 2017}}, The Washington Post (November 29, 2017).{{cite news |last1=Pilkington |first1=Ed |date=November 30, 2017 |title=Far-right hatemongers cheer Trump's Twitter endorsement |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/nov/30/trump-twitter-far-right-racism-hate |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210117235045/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/nov/30/trump-twitter-far-right-racism-hate |archive-date=January 17, 2021 |access-date=December 1, 2017 |work=The Guardian}} In Britain, Fransen and Britain First leader Paul Golding hailed Trump's re-tweets, saying: "Donald Trump himself has retweeted these videos and has around 44 million followers! God Bless You Trump!"{{cite news |last1=Dearden |first1=Lizzie |date=November 29, 2017 |title=Donald Trump retweets Britain First deputy leader's Islamophobic posts |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-britain-first-retweet-muslim-migrants-jayda-fransen-deputy-leader-a8082001.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171129170252/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-britain-first-retweet-muslim-migrants-jayda-fransen-deputy-leader-a8082001.html |archive-date=November 29, 2017 |access-date=November 30, 2017 |work=The Independent}}Dan Bilesfsky & Stephen Castle, [https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/29/world/europe/britain-first-trump.html British Far-Right Group Exults Over Attention From Trump] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171130010553/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/29/world/europe/britain-first-trump.html|date=November 30, 2017}}, The New York Times (November 29, 2017).{{cite news |last1=Allen |first1=Chris |date=December 1, 2017 |title=What is Britain First? The far-right group retweeted by Donald Trump |url=http://theconversation.com/what-is-britain-first-the-far-right-group-retweeted-by-donald-trump-88407 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225065459/https://theconversation.com/what-is-britain-first-the-far-right-group-retweeted-by-donald-trump-88407 |archive-date=February 25, 2021 |access-date=December 1, 2017 |work=The Conversation}}

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders defended Trump's tweets, saying "Whether it's a real video{{sic}}, the threat is real and that is what the president is talking about." On November 30, 2017, Sanders said that Trump's actions "elevate the conversation to talk about a real issue and a real threat, that's extreme violence and extreme terrorism'.{{cite news |last1=Epstein |first1=Jennifer |last2=Olorunnipa |first2=Toluse |date=November 30, 2017 |title=Sanders Says Trump's Tweets of Anti-Muslim Videos 'Elevate' Debate |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-11-30/sanders-says-trump-tweets-of-anti-muslim-videos-elevate-debate |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200902001755/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-11-30/sanders-says-trump-tweets-of-anti-muslim-videos-elevate-debate |archive-date=September 2, 2020 |access-date=December 1, 2017 |agency=Bloomberg News}} Trump responded to criticism from May by publicly rebuking her on Twitter, sparking a rare rift between the United Kingdom and the United States.David Smith, [https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/nov/29/donald-trump-theresa-may-tweet-uk-us Donald Trump attacks British PM Theresa May over her criticism of his far-right retweets] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171130014204/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/nov/29/donald-trump-theresa-may-tweet-uk-us|date=November 30, 2017}}, The Guardian (November 29, 2017). On December 18, almost three weeks after being retweeted by Trump, the accounts of Britain First, Paul Golding and Jayda Fransen were all suspended by Twitter.{{cite news |last1=Timberg |first1=Craig |last2=Tsukayama |first2=Hayley |date=December 18, 2017 |title='Twitter purge' suspends account of far-right leader who was retweeted by Trump |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/12/18/twitter-purge-suspends-account-of-far-right-leader-who-was-retweeted-by-trump/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191208084324/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/12/18/twitter-purge-suspends-account-of-far-right-leader-who-was-retweeted-by-trump/ |archive-date=December 8, 2019 |access-date=December 19, 2017 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}

In a January 2018 interview with Piers Morgan for Good Morning Britain, Trump said he was not familiar with Britain First when he retweeted them, stating, "If you are telling me they're horrible people, horrible, racist people, I would certainly apologise if you'd like me to do that."{{cite news |last=Sharman |first=Jon |date=January 24, 2018 |title=Donald Trump apologises for retweeting anti-Muslim videos from Britain First |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-britain-first-tweets-apology-piers-morgan-jayda-fransen-anti-muslim-videos-islamophobia-a8178831.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210211050049/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-britain-first-tweets-apology-piers-morgan-jayda-fransen-anti-muslim-videos-islamophobia-a8178831.html |archive-date=February 11, 2021 |access-date=February 1, 2018 |work=The Independent}}

In August 2018, Trump tweeted that he had asked Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to "closely study the South Africa land and farm seizures and expropriations and the large scale killing of farmers". The tweet was sent shortly after a segment by Fox News where Tucker Carlson claimed that the "racist government of South Africa" was targeting white-owned farms for land reform due to anti-white racism.{{Cite news |last=Lynch |first=Robbie Gramer, Colum |title=In Tacit Rebuke, U.S. Embassy in South Africa Rejects Trump Tweet |url=https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/08/29/in-tacit-rebuke-u-s-embassy-in-south-africa-rejects-trump-tweet/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210215062656/https://foreignpolicy.com/2018/08/29/in-tacit-rebuke-u-s-embassy-in-south-africa-rejects-trump-tweet/ |archive-date=February 15, 2021 |access-date=January 14, 2019 |work=Foreign Policy}} In response, South Africa's Minister for International Relations and Cooperation Lindiwe Sisulu claimed that Trump was expressing "right-wing ideology" and also added that the South African government had requested an explanation for the tweet from the US chargé d'affaires.{{Cite news |last=McKenzie |first=David |title=South Africa's top diplomat slams Trump tweet as 'right-wing ideology' |url=https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/27/africa/south-africa-trump-tweet-land-reform-intl/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107064105/https://www.cnn.com/2018/08/27/africa/south-africa-trump-tweet-land-reform-intl/index.html |archive-date=January 7, 2021 |access-date=January 14, 2019 |publisher=CNN}} The US Embassy in South Africa rebuked Trump's tweet, claiming that there is "no evidence that murders on farms specifically target white people or are politically motivated". There were no reliable figures that suggested white farmers were at greater risk of being killed than the average South African,{{cite web |title=Trump tweets incorrect on S.A. land seizures, farmers |url=http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2018/aug/24/donald-trump/trump-tweets-incorrect-south-african-land-seizures/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309025857/https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2018/aug/24/donald-trump/trump-tweets-incorrect-south-african-land-seizures/ |archive-date=March 9, 2021 |access-date=January 14, 2019 |website=PolitiFact}}{{Cite news |last1=Greef |first1=Kimon de |last2=Karasz |first2=Palko |date=August 23, 2018 |title=Trump Cites False Claims of Widespread Attacks on White Farmers in South Africa |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/23/world/africa/trump-south-africa-white-farmers.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180827021629/https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/23/world/africa/trump-south-africa-white-farmers.html |archive-date=August 27, 2018 |access-date=January 14, 2019 |work=The New York Times |issn=0362-4331}} and the fact-checking organization Afri-Check claimed that "whites are less likely to be murdered than any other race group" in South Africa.{{Cite news |title=Trump under fire for claim of 'large scale killing' of white farmers in South Africa |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-under-fire-claim-large-scale-killing-white-farmers-south-n903171 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210214065443/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-under-fire-claim-large-scale-killing-white-farmers-south-n903171 |archive-date=February 14, 2021 |access-date=January 14, 2019 |work=NBC News}} The talking point is often used by far-right groups as evidence for a white genocide in South Africa. This has been condemned as false by Genocide Watch.{{cite web |title="White Genocide" is Not Underway in South Africa |url=http://genocidewatch.net/2015/08/19/white-genocide-is-not-underway-in-south-africa/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224022026/http://genocidewatch.net/2015/08/19/white-genocide-is-not-underway-in-south-africa/ |archive-date=February 24, 2021 |access-date=January 14, 2019}}

In July and August 2019, Trump retweeted British commentator Katie Hopkins. In one of these tweets, Hopkins praised four right-wing politicians: Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil, Matteo Salvini of Italy, Victor Orban of Hungary and Jarosław Kaczyński of Poland. In that same tweet, Hopkins said that, "god-willing/jihadi-failing", she would be alive to see "Boris Johnson in Number 10", "Trump in the White House", and "Netanyahu building Israel". Another comment that Trump retweeted was Hopkins' attack on London mayor Sadiq Khan, in which she blamed him for the city's violent crime rate.{{Cite news |last=York |first=Chris |date=July 11, 2019 |title=Trump Retweets Controversial Commentator's Praise Of Far-Right Politicians |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/donald-trump-katie-hopkins-retweet_n_5d26df04e4b0583e482c070c |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210212202845/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/donald-trump-katie-hopkins-retweet_n_5d26df04e4b0583e482c070c |archive-date=February 12, 2021 |access-date=June 20, 2020 |work=HuffPost}}{{Cite news |last=Moran |first=Lee |date=August 3, 2019 |title=Trump Again Promotes Far-Right Commentator Who Once Called Migrants 'Cockroaches' |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/donald-trump-katie-hopkins-germany_n_5d457c95e4b0aca3411e5cff |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191019001235/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/donald-trump-katie-hopkins-germany_n_5d457c95e4b0aca3411e5cff |archive-date=October 19, 2019 |access-date=April 27, 2020 |work=HuffPost}}{{Cite news |last1=Colson |first1=Adam |last2=Payne |first2=Thomas |date=August 3, 2019 |title=Trump regularly retweets Katie Hopkins and called her 'respectable' – in reality she is a marginal figure who called migrants 'cockroaches' and once claimed to be 'the new Jesus' |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-katie-hopkins-donald-trump-retweets-migrants-cockroaches-2019-7 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190804192216/https://www.businessinsider.com.au/who-is-katie-hopkins-donald-trump-retweets-migrants-cockroaches-2019-7 |archive-date=August 4, 2019 |access-date=August 6, 2019 |website=Business Insider Australia}} Twitter permanently suspended Hopkins' account in June 2020 for violating its "Hateful Conduct" policy.{{Cite news |last=Mahtani |first=Melissa |date=June 19, 2020 |title=Twitter permanently suspends account of controversial British columnist Katie Hopkins |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/19/business/twitter-suspends-katie-hopkins/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128075657/https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/19/business/twitter-suspends-katie-hopkins/index.html |archive-date=November 28, 2020 |access-date=June 20, 2020 |publisher=CNN}}

Trump made violent allusions in two late-night tweets in May 2020.{{cite news |last1=Blake |first1=Aaron |date=May 29, 2020 |title=The only good Democrat is a dead Democrat.' |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/05/28/trump-retweets-video-saying-only-good-democrat-is-dead-democrat/ |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210212013744/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/05/28/trump-retweets-video-saying-only-good-democrat-is-dead-democrat/ |archive-date=February 12, 2021 |access-date=July 30, 2020 |newspaper=The Washington Post |quote=When the looting starts, the shooting starts.' Twice in 25 hours, Trump tweets conspicuous allusions to violence.}} In one message, Trump retweeted a video in which one of his supporters (Couy Griffin, a county commissioner in New Mexico and founder of "Cowboys for Trump") says, "The only good Democrat is a dead Democrat."Jason Silverstein, [https://www.cbsnews.com/news/president-trump-shares-video-of-supporter-saying-the-only-good-democrat-is-a-dead-democrat/ Trump shares video of supporter saying "the only good Democrat is a dead Democrat"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210212021023/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/president-trump-shares-video-of-supporter-saying-the-only-good-democrat-is-a-dead-democrat/|date=February 12, 2021}}, CBS News (May 28, 2020). Griffin subsequently said that he was speaking of a "political death" rather than a literal death, but then spoke of an uprising if Democrats win the election and suggested executing Democrats. Twenty-five hours later, Trump tweeted, in reference to violence in Minneapolis, "When the looting starts, the shooting starts." This message was subsequently flagged by Twitter as "glorifying violence" (see below).

{{Further|Buffalo police shoving incident}} {{Tweet

| name = Donald J. Trump 15px

| image = Donald Trump official portrait (cropped).jpg

| username = realDonaldTrump

| date = June 9, 2020

| text = Buffalo protester shoved by Police could be an ANTIFA provocateur. 75 year old Martin Gugino was pushed away after appearing to scan police communications in order to black out the equipment. @OANN I watched, he fell harder than was pushed. Was aiming scanner. Could be a set up?

| ID = 1270333484528214018

| url-status = dead

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210104054834/https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1270333484528214018

| archive-date = January 4, 2021

| ref-name = TweetrealDonaldTrump_3

}}

In a tweet on June 9, 2020, Trump falsely claimed that a 75-year-old George Floyd protester in Buffalo, New York, who was knocked to the ground by two police officers, "fell harder than he was pushed", and could be an "antifa provocateur".{{Cite news |title=President Trump tweets antifa conspiracy theory that originated on anonymous blog |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/president-trump-tweets-antifa-conspiracy-theory-originated-anonymous-blog-n1228356 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201025163241/https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/president-trump-tweets-antifa-conspiracy-theory-originated-anonymous-blog-n1228356 |archive-date=October 25, 2020 |access-date=June 9, 2020 |work=NBC News}}{{Cite news |last=Kessler |first=Glenn |title=Trump tweets outrageous conspiracy theory about injured Buffalo man |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/06/09/trump-tweets-outrageous-conspiracy-theory-about-injured-buffalo-man/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210212063747/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/06/09/trump-tweets-outrageous-conspiracy-theory-about-injured-buffalo-man/ |archive-date=February 12, 2021 |access-date=June 9, 2020 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}{{Cite news |author1=Jordyn Phelps |author2=Libby Cathey |title=Trump tweets conspiracy theory about Buffalo protester police officers knocked to ground |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-tweets-conspiracy-theory-buffalo-protester-police-officers/story?id=71150154 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126001436/https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trump-tweets-conspiracy-theory-buffalo-protester-police-officers/story?id=71150154 |archive-date=January 26, 2021 |access-date=June 9, 2020 |work=ABC News}}{{cite news |last1=Goodman |first1=Jack |date=June 9, 2020 |title=Martin Gugino: Donald Trump's police scanner tweet fact-checked |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/52984295 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210212014715/https://www.bbc.com/news/52984295 |archive-date=February 12, 2021 |access-date=June 10, 2020 |work=BBC News Reality Check}}{{cite news |last1=Cillizza |first1=Chris |date=June 9, 2020 |title=Donald Trump's deeply irresponsible conspiracy theory on the Buffalo man injured by police |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/09/politics/donald-trump-martin-gugino-antifa-tweet/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127225506/https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/09/politics/donald-trump-martin-gugino-antifa-tweet/index.html |archive-date=January 27, 2021 |access-date=June 16, 2020 |work=CNN}}{{cite news |last1=Colvin |first1=Jill |last2=Thompson |first2=Carolyn |date=June 10, 2020 |title=Trump pushes conspiracy theory about Buffalo protester |url=https://apnews.com/article/7c53f78f87351c82582608a5a0c44054 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224183145/https://apnews.com/article/7c53f78f87351c82582608a5a0c44054 |archive-date=February 24, 2021 |access-date=June 16, 2020 |work=Associated Press}}{{cite news |last=Feuer |first=Alan |date=June 9, 2020 |title=Trump Falsely Targets Buffalo Protester, 75, as 'Antifa Provocateur' |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/09/nyregion/who-is-martin-gugino-buffalo-police.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200610231758/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/09/nyregion/who-is-martin-gugino-buffalo-police.html |archive-date=June 10, 2020 |access-date=July 8, 2020 |work=The New York Times}} Trump's tweet referred to a conspiracy theory promoted by the far-right One America News Network (OANN) channel{{cite news |date=June 9, 2020 |title=Manifestant de 75 ans blessé par la police: Trump évoque un possible coup monté |url=https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2020/06/09/manifestant-de-75-ans-blesse-par-la-police-trump-evoque-un-possible-coup-monte |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200730015037/https://www.journaldemontreal.com/2020/06/09/manifestant-de-75-ans-blesse-par-la-police-trump-evoque-un-possible-coup-monte |archive-date=July 30, 2020 |access-date=July 8, 2020 |work=Le Journal de Montréal |language=fr |agency=AFP}}{{cite news |last1=Collins |first1=Ben |date=June 9, 2020 |title=President Donald Trump tweets 'antifa' conspiracy theory that originated on anonymous blog |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/president-trump-tweets-antifa-conspiracy-theory-originated-anonymous-blog-n1228356 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201025163241/https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/social-media/president-trump-tweets-antifa-conspiracy-theory-originated-anonymous-blog-n1228356 |archive-date=October 25, 2020 |access-date=June 10, 2020 |work=NBC News}} and Kristian Rouz of OANN, who has also worked for the Russian propaganda outlet Sputnik News.{{cite news |last1=Blake |first1=Aaron |date=June 10, 2020 |title=The frequent overlap between Trump's conspiracy theories and Russian propaganda |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/06/09/frequent-overlap-between-trumps-conspiracy-theories-russian-propaganda/ |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20200609175632/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/06/09/frequent-overlap-between-trumps-conspiracy-theories-russian-propaganda/ |archive-date=June 9, 2020 |access-date=June 10, 2020 |newspaper=The Washington Post}} The OANN claim was itself based on a claim on an anonymous right-wing blog.{{cite news |last1=Quinn |first1=Melissa |date=June 9, 2020 |title=Trump suggests without evidence 75-year-old man shoved to the ground by Buffalo police was a "set up" |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-calls-buffalo-protester-martin-gugino-antifa-provocateur/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200610000719/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-calls-buffalo-protester-martin-gugino-antifa-provocateur/ |archive-date=June 10, 2020 |access-date=June 10, 2020 |work=CBS News}} No evidence supported Trump's claims that the man was an "antifa" member,{{cite news |last1=Jackson |first1=Hannah |date=June 9, 2020 |title=Trump floats unfounded theory that 75-year-old protester pushed by police is Antifa |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/7043478/george-floyd-protest-buffalo-trump-antifa/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309030401/https://globalnews.ca/news/7043478/george-floyd-protest-buffalo-trump-antifa/ |archive-date=March 9, 2021 |access-date=July 8, 2020 |work=Globalnews}} that the incident was a setup, that the man fell "harder than he was pushed",{{cite news |last1=Yen |first1=Hope |last2=Woodward |first2=Calvin |last3=Seitz |first3=Amanda |date=June 13, 2020 |title=AP FACT CHECK: Trump's law and order and misinformation |url=https://apnews.com/article/a718bf71e2c3099c6d35d8eaa0a538c0 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309030352/https://apnews.com/article/a718bf71e2c3099c6d35d8eaa0a538c0 |archive-date=March 9, 2021 |access-date=June 16, 2020 |work=Associated Press}} or that the man was attempting to "scan" police devices.

On June 28, 2020, Trump retweeted a video showing profane arguments between anti-Trump and pro-Trump protesters in The Villages, Florida, a retirement community. In the video, a pro-Trump protester can twice be heard yelling "white power" at the anti-Trump protesters. In his tweet, Trump thanked the pro-Trump protesters shown in the video, calling them "great people".[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53212685 Trump retweets video of supporter shouting 'white power'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210110150710/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-53212685|date=January 10, 2021}}, BBC News (June 28, 2020).Michael D. Shear, [https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/28/us/politics/trump-white-power-video-racism.html Trump Retweets Racist Video Showing Supporter Yelling 'White Power'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210302073239/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/28/us/politics/trump-white-power-video-racism.html|date=March 2, 2021}}, The New York Times (June 28, 2020).{{Cite news |title=Trump Retweets Video Of Apparent Supporter Saying 'White Power' |url=https://www.npr.org/sections/live-updates-protests-for-racial-justice/2020/06/28/884392576/trump-retweets-video-of-apparent-supporter-saying-white-power |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309025854/https://www.npr.org/sections/live-updates-protests-for-racial-justice/2020/06/28/884392576/trump-retweets-video-of-apparent-supporter-saying-white-power |archive-date=March 9, 2021 |access-date=June 28, 2020 |publisher=NPR}}

The tweet was widely criticized as racist. Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina (the Senate's sole black Republican) called the tweet "indefensible" and asked Trump to delete it. Trump subsequently deleted the post, without condemning the "white power" statement or disavowing his supporter's act. White House Deputy Press Secretary Judd Deere defended Trump, claiming "President Trump is a big fan of The Villages. He did not hear the one statement made on the video. What he did see was tremendous enthusiasm from his many supporters."

Many White House officials claimed to have tried to reach out to Trump while the tweet was still up asking him to delete it, but that they couldn't reach him because he had put his phone down while playing golf at his Virginia golf club.{{Cite news |title=Trump's 'white power' retweet set off 'five-alarm fire' in White House |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-s-white-power-retweet-set-five-alarm-fire-white-n1232495 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200701120803/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trump-s-white-power-retweet-set-five-alarm-fire-white-n1232495 |archive-date=July 1, 2020 |access-date=June 30, 2020 |work=NBC News}}

{{Main|Trump Tower wiretapping allegations}}

{{tweet

| text = Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my "wires tapped" in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism!

| name = Donald J. Trump 15px

| image = Donald Trump official portrait (cropped).jpg

| username = realDonaldTrump

| id = 837989835818287106

| date = March 4, 2017

| reference = {{efn|name=wiretapping-tweets|The original tweets about wiretapping are, in chronological order:

• {{cite tweet |user=realDonaldTrump |first=Donald J. |last=Trump |author-link=Donald Trump |number=837989835818287106 |title=Terrible! Just found out that Obama had my "wires tapped" in Trump Tower just before the victory. Nothing found. This is McCarthyism! |date=March 4, 2017 |access-date=March 21, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107045835/https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/837989835818287106|archive-date=January 7, 2021}}
• {{cite tweet |user=realDonaldTrump |first=Donald J. |last=Trump |author-link=Donald Trump |number=837993273679560704 |title=Is it legal for a sitting President to be "wire tapping" a race for president prior to an election? Turned down by court earlier. A NEW LOW! |date=March 4, 2017 |access-date=March 21, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107014230/https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/837993273679560704|archive-date=January 7, 2021}}
• {{cite tweet |user=realDonaldTrump |first=Donald J. |last=Trump |author-link=Donald Trump |number=837994257566863360 |title=I'd bet a good lawyer could make a great case out of the fact that President Obama was tapping my phones in October, just prior to Election! |date=March 4, 2017 |access-date=March 21, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107013353/https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/837994257566863360|archive-date=January 7, 2021}}
• {{cite tweet |user=realDonaldTrump |first=Donald J. |last=Trump |author-link=Donald Trump |number=837996746236182529 |title=How low has President Obama gone to tapp my phones during the very sacred election process. This is Nixon/Watergate. Bad (or sick) guy! |date=March 4, 2017 |access-date=March 21, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107014227/https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/837996746236182529|archive-date=January 7, 2021}}

}}

}}

In a succession of tweets on March 4, 2017, Trump stated he had "just found out" that his predecessor Obama had wiretapped the phones in his offices at Trump Tower during the last months of the 2016 election. Trump did not say where he had obtained the information and offered no evidence to support it. Trump compared the alleged intrusion to McCarthyism and Watergate. Anonymous White House officials told The Washington Post that Trump did not appear to coordinate his comments with other White House officials.

Although no evidence supported Trump's claims, the tweets resulted in a week of media attention. Fake news websites also took up the allegations, and one falsely claimed that a warrant for Obama's arrest had been given.

{{Main|Russian interference in the 2016 United States elections|Mueller special counsel investigation}}

Trump repeatedly attacked former FBI director James Comey, whom Trump dismissed from office, via Twitter.Eric Tucker, [https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-trump-comey-20170914-story.html As Mueller probe intensifies, so do Trump attacks on Comey] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170921140804/http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/politics/ct-trump-comey-20170914-story.html|date=September 21, 2017}}, Associated Press (September 14, 2017). He also posted a number of angry tweets directed at Robert Mueller, who was appointed as a special prosecutor to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.Molly Redden, [https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/oct/29/donald-trump-robert-mueller-russia-chris-christie Russia inquiry: Donald Trump sends barrage of angry tweets as charges reported] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171125223548/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/oct/29/donald-trump-robert-mueller-russia-chris-christie|date=November 25, 2017}}, The Guardian (October 29, 2017).Callum Borchers, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/08/04/trumps-itchy-twitter-finger-just-triggered-speculation-about-an-indictment/ Trump's itchy Twitter finger just triggered speculation about an indictment] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171122104120/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/08/04/trumps-itchy-twitter-finger-just-triggered-speculation-about-an-indictment/|date=November 22, 2017}}, The Washington Post (August 4, 2017).

On July 30, 2020, Trump claimed that universal mail-in ballots for the 2020 election will lead to widespread fraud. He then suggested that the election should be "delayed"—something that Trump lacked the power to do. Trump's proposal came with widespread backlash from leaders across the political spectrum, including from Democratic House speaker Nancy Pelosi (who noted that only Congress could change the date of the election){{Cite news |last=Klar |first=Rebecca |date=July 30, 2020 |title=Pelosi responds to Trump floating election delay by quoting from Constitution |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/509765-pelosi-responds-to-trump-floating-election-delay-by-quoting-from-constitution/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230406020034/https://thehill.com/homenews/house/509765-pelosi-responds-to-trump-floating-election-delay-by-quoting-from-constitution/ |archive-date=April 6, 2023 |access-date=April 16, 2024 |work=The Hill}}{{cite web |last=Frostenson |first=Sarah |date=July 30, 2020 |title=Trump Can't Postpone The Election, But He Can Delegitimize The Results. |url=https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/trump-cant-postpone-the-election-but-he-can-delegitimize-the-results/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201214025323/https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/trump-cant-postpone-the-election-but-he-can-delegitimize-the-results/ |archive-date=December 14, 2020 |access-date=July 31, 2020}} and Senate Republicans who rarely criticized Trump.{{Cite news |title=Republicans flat-out reject Trump's suggestion to delay election |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/07/30/trump-delay-election-gop-388290 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210228014609/https://www.politico.com/news/2020/07/30/trump-delay-election-gop-388290 |archive-date=February 28, 2021 |access-date=July 31, 2020 |work=Politico}}{{Cite news |last=Clare Foran and Manu Raju |title=Republicans openly challenge Trump's tweet on delaying election |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/30/politics/trump-election-tweet-republican-reaction/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107065033/https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/30/politics/trump-election-tweet-republican-reaction/index.html |archive-date=January 7, 2021 |access-date=July 31, 2020 |publisher=CNN}}{{cite web |date=July 31, 2020 |title=Trump faces rare rebuke from GOP for floating election delay |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/31/trump-faces-rare-rebuke-from-gop-for-floating-election-delay.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119060128/https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/31/trump-faces-rare-rebuke-from-gop-for-floating-election-delay.html |archive-date=January 19, 2021 |access-date=February 9, 2021 |website=CNBC}}{{cite news |date=July 30, 2020 |title=2020 Election Live Updates: Republicans Rebuke Trump for Floating Delaying Election, Something He Cannot Do |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/30/us/elections/biden-vs-trump.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200730121042/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/30/us/elections/biden-vs-trump.html |archive-date=July 30, 2020 |access-date=July 30, 2020 |work=The New York Times}} Later that day, Trump said in a press conference that he does not want to see a delay in the election but repeated his claims about voter fraud.{{Cite news |last=Jackson |first=John Fritze, Courtney Subramanian and David |title='I don't want a delay': Trump rows back on delaying election but not on mail-in ballots |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/07/30/trump-hosts-coronavirus-briefing-after-floating-idea-election-delay/5547391002/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210119060128/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/07/30/trump-hosts-coronavirus-briefing-after-floating-idea-election-delay/5547391002/ |archive-date=January 19, 2021 |access-date=July 31, 2020 |work=USA Today}}

{{Main|2021 United States Capitol attack|Attempts to overturn the 2020 United States presidential election}}

{{tweet

| username = realdonaldtrump

| ID = 1346488314157797389

| date = January 5, 2021

| name = Donald J. Trump 15px

| image = Donald Trump official portrait (cropped).jpg

| text = The Vice President has the power to reject fraudulently chosen electors.

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210105234329/https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/1346488314157797389

| archive-date = January 5, 2021

| url-status = dead

}}

On January 5, 2021—the day before Congress convened in joint session to count the electoral votes and formalize Biden's victory in the presidential election—Trump falsely claimed on Twitter that Vice President Mike Pence had the power to toss out "fraudulent" electoral votes.{{cite news |last=Liptak |first=Kevin |date=January 5, 2021 |title=Pence faces pressure from Trump to thwart Electoral College vote |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/05/politics/mike-pence-donald-trump-electoral-college/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210105203845/https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/05/politics/mike-pence-donald-trump-electoral-college/index.html |archive-date=January 5, 2021 |access-date=January 5, 2021 |work=CNN}}

On January 6, after a violent pro-Trump mob stormed the Capitol and disrupted the counting of electoral votes, Twitter declared that they had indefinitely locked Trump's account for "repeated and severe violations" of the site's Civic Integrity policy. "Locking" meant that Trump could not post new tweets but meanwhile his existing tweets could still be viewed by the public. Twitter Safety said that, if Trump deleted three specific tweets, a 12-hour waiting period would go into effect and then his account would be unlocked. The tweets were immediately deleted.{{cite tweet |number=1346970430062485505 |user=TwitterSafety |title=As a result of the unprecedented and ongoing violent situation in Washington, D.C., we have required the removal of three @realDonaldTrump Tweets that were posted earlier today for repeated and severe violations of our Civic Integrity policy. https://t.co/k6OkjNG3bM |author=Twitter Safety |date=January 7, 2021 |access-date=December 2, 2022 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221022205118/https://twitter.com/TwitterSafety/status/1346970430062485505 |archive-date=October 22, 2022 |url-status=live}}{{Cite news |last1=Conger |first1=Kate |last2=Isaac |first2=Mike |last3=Frenkel |first3=Sheera |date=January 6, 2021 |title=Twitter Locks Trump's Account After Violence on Capitol Hill |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/06/technology/violence-election-capitol-hill-social-media.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107140923/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/06/technology/violence-election-capitol-hill-social-media.html |archive-date=January 7, 2021 |access-date=January 7, 2021 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}} Overnight, while Trump's account was still locked, a message from him was posted to his assistant Dan Scavino's account. In that message, Trump promised "an orderly transition on January 20th" but also emphasized that "I totally disagree with the outcome of the election" and that this moment was "only the beginning of our fight".{{Cite news |last=Wingrove |first=Josh |date=January 7, 2021 |title=Trump Pledges an Orderly Transition to a Biden Presidency |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-01-07/trump-offers-assurance-of-orderly-transition-to-biden-presidency |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210207094709/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-01-07/trump-offers-assurance-of-orderly-transition-to-biden-presidency |archive-date=February 7, 2021 |access-date=January 7, 2021 |work=Bloomberg |language=en}}

Trump would only tweet three more times from his personal account. His next tweet was on January 7 at 7:10 p.m. Eastern; it was a brief video that was widely reported in the news as his concession speech. In the video, he acknowledged that a new administration would be sworn into office and that he would no longer be president.{{cite tweet |number=1347334804052844550 |user=realDonaldTrump |title=https://t.co/csX07ZVWGe |first=Donald |last=Trump |author-link=Donald Trump |date=January 8, 2021 |access-date=December 2, 2022 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221124015110/https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1347334804052844550 |archive-date=November 24, 2022 |url-status=live}}{{Cite news |last1=Breuninger |first1=Kevin |last2=Macias |first2=Amanda |date=January 7, 2021 |title=Trump finally concedes Biden will become president |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/07/trump-for-first-time-acknowledges-new-administration-will-take-office-jan-20.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210120160343/https://www.cnbc.com/2021/01/07/trump-for-first-time-acknowledges-new-administration-will-take-office-jan-20.html |archive-date=January 20, 2021 |access-date=January 8, 2021 |work=CNBC}} On January 8 at 9:46 a.m. Eastern, he called the people who voted for him "American Patriots", assured they would have a "GIANT VOICE", and affirmed they would not tolerate disrespect.{{cite tweet |number=1347555316863553542 |user=realDonaldTrump |title=The 75,000,000 great American Patriots who voted for me, AMERICA FIRST, and MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, will have a GIANT VOICE long into the future. They will not be disrespected or treated unfairly in any way, shape or form!!! |first=Donald |last=Trump |author-link=Donald Trump |date=January 8, 2021 |access-date=December 2, 2022 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221124015238/https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1347555316863553542 |archive-date=November 24, 2022 |url-status=live}} At 10:44 a.m. Eastern, he tweeted "I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th."{{cite tweet |number=1347569870578266115 |user=realDonaldTrump |title=To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th. |first=Donald |last=Trump |author-link=Donald Trump |date=January 8, 2021 |access-date=December 2, 2022 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221129142912/https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1347569870578266115 |archive-date=November 29, 2022 |url-status=live}} Later that day, Twitter permanently suspended Trump's account, stating that Trump's continued tweeting was "likely to inspire others to replicate the violent acts that took place on January 6, 2021" and that there were "multiple indicators that they are being received and understood as encouragement to do so".

On December 3, 2022, Trump called for "the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution" to allow him to be declared winner of the 2020 election or to rerun the election. He was complaining about a new revelation that, several weeks before the election, Twitter's corporate policy teams had debated whether to allow distribution of a particular story unfavorable to Biden; a newspaper claimed to have information about a computer belonging to Biden's son, and Twitter leaders had discussed whether it ran afoul of their content rules about "hacked materials". Trump posted his complaint about the U.S. Constitution to his own platform, Truth Social. At this time, Twitter had already reinstated his account, but Trump had not resumed posting to that platform.{{Cite web |last=Holmes |first=Kristen |date=December 3, 2022 |title=Trump calls for the termination of the Constitution in Truth Social post {{!}} CNN Politics |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/03/politics/trump-constitution-truth-social/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221204203805/https://www.cnn.com/2022/12/03/politics/trump-constitution-truth-social/index.html |archive-date=December 4, 2022 |access-date=December 4, 2022 |website=CNN |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Boboltz |first=Sara |date=December 3, 2022 |title=Trump Calls For 'Termination' Of Constitution Over Elon Musk's 'Twitter Files' Leak |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/twitter-files-trump-elon-musk_n_638bba69e4b07530543ab5d8 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221204000937/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/twitter-files-trump-elon-musk_n_638bba69e4b07530543ab5d8 |archive-date=December 4, 2022 |access-date=December 4, 2022 |website=HuffPost |language=en}}

File:Sadiq_Khan.jpg Sadiq Khan]]

After the 2017 London Bridge attack, Mayor of London Sadiq Khan condemned it and said that "the city remains one of the safest in the world" and there was "no reason to be alarmed" over the increased police presence around the city. The latter comment was taken out of context and criticized by Trump in a tweet: "At least 7 dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and Mayor of London says there is 'no reason to be alarmed!'"

Trump's comments were described as a deliberate misrepresentation of Khan's remarks by Khan's spokesman, as well as by former US vice president Al Gore. Prime Minister Theresa May said that "Sadiq Khan is doing a good job and it is wrong to say anything else". Conservative minister Penny Mordaunt and Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron also backed Khan. Farron said, "Sadiq Khan has shown calm and dignified resolve in the face of these cowardly terrorist attacks. He is more of a statesman than Donald Trump will ever be." Lewis Lukens, the former US ambassador to the UK, and the United States Conference of Mayors declared their support, with Lukens commending Khan's "strong leadership" in leading London forward after the attack and also praising the "extraordinary response" from the law enforcement community. Trump tweeted the following day that the London Mayor was offering a "pathetic excuse" for his statement, and alleging that the mainstream media were "working hard to sell" Khan's explanation. When asked about these comments following a vigil held near Tower Bridge, Khan stated that he was busy dealing with the aftermath of the attack and declared that he has not "got the time to respond to tweets from Donald Trump".

Trump's sons, Donald Jr. and Eric Trump, defended his comments and claimed that Khan, who worked along with the security services and held a vigil for victims of the attack, was not doing enough to combat terrorism. Trump Jr. stated that Khan should stop attacking his father, despite the fact that Khan did not respond to Trump's comments.{{cite news |last=Oppenheim |first=Maya |date=June 7, 2017 |title=Donald Trump's sons Eric and Donald Jr back his barbed attacks on Sadiq Khan |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-eric-donald-jr-saidq-khan-london-mayor-attacks-terrorism-us-president-a7776721.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170607122620/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-eric-donald-jr-saidq-khan-london-mayor-attacks-terrorism-us-president-a7776721.html |archive-date=June 7, 2017 |access-date=June 14, 2017 |work=The Independent}}

Senator John McCain criticized the comments made by Trump, stating that America was "not showing leadership around the world."{{cite news |last1=Sharman |first1=Jon |date=June 12, 2017 |title=John McCain says US global leadership was better under Barack Obama than Donald Trump |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/john-mccain-donald-trump-barack-obama-us-global-leadership-american-foreign-policy-tweets-republican-a7785341.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111170912/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/john-mccain-donald-trump-barack-obama-us-global-leadership-american-foreign-policy-tweets-republican-a7785341.html |archive-date=November 11, 2020 |access-date=February 9, 2018 |work=The Independent}} During the same discussion, McCain also commented that the former president Barack Obama and his administration had offered better leadership. He later partially retracted by stating that only certain "different aspects" were better during Obama's presidency, but still stood by his criticism of Trump's social media views.{{cite news |last1=Beavers |first1=Olivia |date=June 13, 2017 |title=McCain walks back comments about American leadership being better under Obama |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/337585-mccain-walks-back-comments-about-american-leadership-being-better-under-obama/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170907022840/http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/337585-mccain-walks-back-comments-about-american-leadership-being-better-under-obama |archive-date=September 7, 2017 |access-date=June 14, 2017 |work=The Hill}}{{cite news |last1=Siddiqui |first1=Sabrina |last2=Gambino |first2=Lauren |date=June 11, 2017 |title=How Trump's actions and tone affect US alliances and perception on global stage |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jun/11/donald-trump-foreign-policy-approach-qatar |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170613213255/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jun/11/donald-trump-foreign-policy-approach-qatar |archive-date=June 13, 2017 |access-date=June 14, 2017 |work=The Guardian}}

{{tweet

| username = realDonaldTrump

| name = Donald J. Trump 15px

| image = Donald Trump official portrait (cropped).jpg

| text = I heard poorly rated @Morning_Joe speaks badly of me (don't watch anymore). Then how come low I.Q. Crazy Mika, along with Psycho Joe, came..

| date = June 29, 2017

| reference = {{cite web |last=Abramson |first=Alana |title=Melania Trump Wants to Fight Cyberbullying. But She's Defending Trump's Mika Brzezinski Tweets |work=Fortune |url=http://fortune.com/2017/06/29/donald-trump-twitter-melania-mika-brzezinski/ |url-access=subscription |date=June 29, 2017 |access-date=June 29, 2017 |archive-date=June 29, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170629174921/http://fortune.com/2017/06/29/donald-trump-twitter-melania-mika-brzezinski/ |url-status=live }}

}} {{tweet

| username = realDonaldTrump

| name = Donald J. Trump 15px

| image = Donald Trump official portrait (cropped).jpg

| text = ...to Mar-a-Lago 3 nights in a row around New Year's Eve, and insisted on joining me. She was bleeding badly from a face-lift. I said no!

| date = June 29, 2017

| access-date = June 29, 2017

| reference =

}}

On June 29, 2017, Trump tweeted about Morning Joe hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough, who earlier in the day had talked about Trump on their show. The tweets referred to the hosts as "low I.Q. Crazy Mika, along with Psycho Joe", and claimed that Brzezinski tried to join Trump on New Year's Eve but was declined because she was bleeding from a facelift.{{cite news |last1=Grynbaum |first1=Michael M. |date=June 29, 2017 |title=Trump Mocks Mika Brzezinski; Says She Was 'Bleeding Badly From a Facelift' |work=The New York Times}}

The comments were quickly met with condemnation from both the left and the right. Paul Ryan, Speaker of the US House of Representatives, stated, "Obviously, I don't see that as an appropriate comment." Nancy Pelosi, Minority Leader of the House, stated that the tweet "really saddens me because it is so beneath the dignity of the president of the United States to engage in such behavior".{{cite news |date=June 29, 2017 |title=The Latest: Left, right unite against Trump tweet |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/latest-gop-senators-criticize-trump-crude-tweet-48349553 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170629175414/http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory/latest-gop-senators-criticize-trump-crude-tweet-48349553 |archive-date=June 29, 2017 |access-date=June 29, 2017 |work=ABC News}} Maine Republican Senator Susan Collins tweeted, "This has to stop – we all have a job – 3 branches of gov't and media. We don't have to get along, but we must show respect and civility." Rebukes also came from Oklahoma Republican senator James Lankford, New York Democratic representative Nita Lowey, and Kansas Republican representative Lynn Jenkins.

MSNBC stated, "It's a sad day for America when the president spends his time bullying, lying and spewing petty personal attacks instead of doing his job."{{cite news |last1=Stelter |first1=Brian |date=June 29, 2017 |title=Trump tweets shocking assault on Brzezinski, Scarborough |url=https://money.cnn.com/2017/06/29/media/mika-brzezinski-donald-trump-tweet/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170629141113/https://money.cnn.com/2017/06/29/media/mika-brzezinski-donald-trump-tweet/index.html |archive-date=June 29, 2017 |access-date=June 29, 2017 |publisher=CNN}} Aaron Blake of The Washington Post wrote an article titled "Trump's very bad tweets about Mika Brzezinski are a microcosm of his struggling presidency."{{cite news |last1=Blake |first1=Aaron |date=June 29, 2017 |title=Trump's very bad tweets about Mika Brzezinski are a microcosm of his struggling presidency |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/06/29/trumps-very-bad-tweets-about-mika-brzezinski-are-the-epitome-of-his-struggling-presidency/ |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170629181835/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/06/29/trumps-very-bad-tweets-about-mika-brzezinski-are-the-epitome-of-his-struggling-presidency/ |archive-date=June 29, 2017 |access-date=June 29, 2017 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}

Seemingly in defense of Trump, Melania Trump's spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham released the statement: "As the First Lady has stated publicly in the past, when her husband gets attacked, he will punch back 10 times harder." Sarah Huckabee Sanders stated, "Look, I don't think that the president's ever been someone who gets attacked and doesn't push back. ... This is a president who fights fire with fire and certainly will not be allowed to be bullied by liberal media and the liberal elites in Hollywood or anywhere else."{{cite web |last1=Koronowski |first1=Ryan |date=June 29, 2017 |title=White House vigorously defends Trump's sexist tweets about Mika Brzezinski |url=https://thinkprogress.org/defense-trump-sexist-brzezinski-tweets-c4ad5d59577c |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170812124035/https://thinkprogress.org/defense-trump-sexist-brzezinski-tweets-c4ad5d59577c/ |archive-date=August 12, 2017 |access-date=June 29, 2017 |website=ThinkProgress}}

On July 1, 2017, Trump tweeted "Crazy Joe Scarborough and dumb as a rock Mika are not bad people, but their low rated show is dominated by their NBC bosses. Too bad!"{{cite news |last1=Gambino |first1=Lauren |date=July 1, 2017 |title='Dumb as a rock Mika': Donald Trump back on attack against Morning Joe hosts |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jul/01/donald-trump-mika-brzezinski-joe-scarborough-twitter-fight |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170701191656/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jul/01/donald-trump-mika-brzezinski-joe-scarborough-twitter-fight |archive-date=July 1, 2017 |access-date=July 1, 2017 |work=The Guardian}}

After these tweets, Trump's approval rating decreased from 40 percent to 37 percent, according to a Gallup poll. However, the RealClearPolitics average of polls showed his approval rating remained virtually unchanged in the same time period.{{cite web |title=President Trump Job Approval |url=https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/president_trump_job_approval-6179.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20171004155555/https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/president_trump_job_approval-6179.html |archive-date=October 4, 2017 |access-date=July 6, 2017 |publisher=RealClearPolitics}}

{{Further|False or misleading statements by Donald Trump#Joe Scarborough murder conspiracy theory|Mika Brzezinski#Trump tweets}}{{tweet

| username = realDonaldTrump

| name = Donald J. Trump 15px

| image = Donald Trump official portrait (cropped).jpg

| text = When will they open a Cold Case on the Psycho Joe Scarborough matter in Florida. Did he get away with murder? Some people think so. Why did he leave Congress so quietly and quickly? Isn't it obvious? What's happening now? A total nut job!

| date = May 12, 2020

| reference =

}}

Trump repeatedly used Twitter to smear Scarborough by falsely suggesting that he was involved in the 2001 death of Lori Klausutis, who had been one of Scarborough's congressional aides.Angelo Fichera & Saranac Hale Spencer, [https://www.factcheck.org/2020/10/trumps-long-history-with-conspiracy-theories/ Trump's Long History With Conspiracy Theories] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210204143959/https://www.factcheck.org/2020/10/trumps-long-history-with-conspiracy-theories/|date=February 4, 2021}}, FactCheck.org (October 20, 2020). Klausutis died in Scarborough's district office in Fort Walton Beach, Florida, after she fainted and hit her head; the medical examiner's autopsy revealed that she had had an undiagnosed heart condition that caused the death, which occurred when Scarborough was in Washington, and there was no evidence of any foul play.{{cite news |last1=Feiner |first1=Lauren |last2=Wilkie |first2=Christine |date=May 26, 2020 |title=Twitter refuses to delete Trump's baseless claims about Joe Scarborough |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/26/twitters-world-leaders-policy-gets-a-new-test-with-trump-tweets.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210301005047/https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/26/twitters-world-leaders-policy-gets-a-new-test-with-trump-tweets.html |archive-date=March 1, 2021 |access-date=May 26, 2020 |publisher=CNBC}} In 2017, Trump suggested that Scarborough to be fired "based on the 'unsolved mystery' that took place in Florida years ago" and wrote "Investigate!" In a series of tweets in May 2020, Trump called Scarborough a "psycho" and again suggested that he had murdered Klausutis.{{cite news |date=May 26, 2020 |title=Timothy Klausutis's Full Letter to Jack Dorsey, and Twitter's Response |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/26/business/letter-to-twitter-ceo.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210227000017/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/26/business/letter-to-twitter-ceo.html |archive-date=February 27, 2021 |access-date=May 26, 2020 |work=The New York Times}}

Twitter refused to delete the tweet, despite a request from Timothy Klausutis, Lori's widower, who in May 2020 wrote a letter to Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey (subsequently published by The New York Times), calling upon Twitter to remove Trump's tweets. Klausutis pointed out that "an ordinary user like me would be banished from the platform for such a tweet" and wrote, "These conspiracy theorists, including most recently the President of the United States, continue to spread their bile and misinformation on your platform disparaging the memory of my wife and our marriage. ... the President of the United States has taken something that does not belong to him — the memory of my dead wife — and perverted it for perceived political gain." Trump's promotion of the debunked conspiracy drew rare rebukes from some Republican officials such as Adam Kinzinger, Liz Cheney, and Mitt Romney.{{Cite news |last=Coleman |first=Justine |date=May 24, 2020 |title=GOP lawmaker calls on Trump to stop promoting Scarborough conspiracy theory: 'It will destroy us' |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/house/499387-gop-lawmaker-calls-on-trump-to-stop-promoting-scarborough-conspiracy-theory-it/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231221213012/https://thehill.com/homenews/house/499387-gop-lawmaker-calls-on-trump-to-stop-promoting-scarborough-conspiracy-theory-it/ |archive-date=December 21, 2023 |access-date=April 16, 2024 |work=The Hill}}{{Cite news |title=Two prominent Republicans call out Trump for repeating baseless conspiracy theory about MSNBC host |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/romney-cheney-call-out-trump-repeating-baseless-conspiracy-theory-about-n1215646 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201125060915/https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/romney-cheney-call-out-trump-repeating-baseless-conspiracy-theory-about-n1215646 |archive-date=November 25, 2020 |access-date=May 28, 2020 |work=NBC News}} as well as some conservative media outlets, including The Wall Street Journal and the Washington Examiner.{{Cite news |last1=Grynbaum |first1=Michael M. |last2=Tracy |first2=Marc |last3=Cochrane |first3=Emily |date=May 27, 2020 |title='Ugly Even for Him': Trump's Usual Allies Recoil at His Smear of MSNBC Host |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/27/business/media/trump-joe-scarborough-conservative-media.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210206131755/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/27/business/media/trump-joe-scarborough-conservative-media.html |archive-date=February 6, 2021 |access-date=May 28, 2020 |work=The New York Times}}

As president, Trump frequently tweeted personal attacks against federal judges who have ruled against him in court cases.Kristine Phillips, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/04/26/all-the-times-trump-personally-attacked-judges-and-why-his-tirades-are-worse-than-wrong/ All the times Trump personally attacked judges – and why his tirades are 'worse than wrong'] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171103144335/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2017/04/26/all-the-times-trump-personally-attacked-judges-and-why-his-tirades-are-worse-than-wrong/|date=November 3, 2017}}, The Washington Post (April 26, 2017).Corky Siemaszko, [https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/experts-trump-undermines-judiciary-twitter-attack-judge-robart-n717626 Experts: Trump Undermines Judiciary With Twitter Attack on Judge Robart] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170727000349/http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/experts-trump-undermines-judiciary-twitter-attack-judge-robart-n717626|date=July 27, 2017}}, NBC News (February 7, 2017).Eric Bradner & Jeff Zeleny, [http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/05/politics/trump-twitter-attacks-judge/index.html Trump: 'If something happens blame' the judge] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170830074035/http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/05/politics/trump-twitter-attacks-judge/index.html|date=August 30, 2017}}, CNN (February 5, 2017). In February 2017, Trump referred to US district judge James Robart, who had enjoined Trump's travel ban from taking effect, as a "so-called judge" and wrote, "If something happens blame him and court system. People pouring in. Bad!" Legal experts expressed concerns that such comments undermined the federal judiciary and could "undermine public confidence in an institution capable checking his power."

In June 2017, Trump criticized his own United States Department of Justice for defending his "watered down, politically correct version" of a travel ban (which Trump signed in March 2017) in court, rather than an initial version of the ban that Trump has signed in January 2017 (and was later declared unconstitutional by federal courts).John T. Bennett, [https://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/trump-criticizes-justice-dept-watered-down-travel-ban Trump Criticizes His Justice Department Over 'Watered Down' Travel Ban: President wants DOJ to ask Supreme Court to review initial executive order] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170628091009/http://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/trump-criticizes-justice-dept-watered-down-travel-ban|date=June 28, 2017}}, Roll Call (June 5, 2017).[http://www.syracuse.com/us-news/index.ssf/2017/06/trump_justice_department_travel_ban.html Trump complains about his own Justice Department over blocked travel ban] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170703102359/http://www.syracuse.com/us-news/index.ssf/2017/06/trump_justice_department_travel_ban.html|date=July 3, 2017}}, Associated Press (June 5, 2017).Gabrielle Levy, [https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2017-06-05/trump-criticizes-justice-department-over-his-travel-ban Trump Criticizes Justice Department Over His Travel Ban] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170721084518/https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2017-06-05/trump-criticizes-justice-department-over-his-travel-ban|date=July 21, 2017}}, U.S. News & World Report (June 5, 2017). In January 2018, Trump tweeted that his Justice Department is part of the American "deep state".{{cite news |title=Trump again at war with 'deep state' Justice Department |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2018/01/02/politics/president-donald-trump-deep-state/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180317173824/https://edition.cnn.com/2018/01/02/politics/president-donald-trump-deep-state/index.html |archive-date=March 17, 2018 |access-date=March 18, 2018 |publisher=CNN}} In March 2018, Trump tweeted that "there was tremendous leaking, lying and corruption at the highest levels of the FBI, Justice & State" Departments.{{cite news |last1=Watson |first1=Kathryn |title=Trump lashes out at FBI, State and Justice Departments for "leaking, lying and corruption" |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-lashes-out-at-fbi-state-department-justice-department-for-leaking-lying-corruption/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180318122020/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/trump-lashes-out-at-fbi-state-department-justice-department-for-leaking-lying-corruption/ |archive-date=March 18, 2018 |access-date=March 18, 2018 |work=CBS News}} Previously in December 2017, Trump tweeted that the FBI's "reputation" was at its worst ever after years under James Comey.{{cite news |last1=Shelbourne |first1=Mallory |title=Trump: FBI's reputation in tatters |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/362976-trump-fbis-reputation-in-tatters/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180318025147/http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/362976-trump-fbis-reputation-in-tatters |archive-date=March 18, 2018 |access-date=March 18, 2018 |work=The Hill}}

In June 2017, Trump tweeted that Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein's investigation of Trump (via a special counsel Robert Mueller) was a "witch hunt".{{cite news |last1=Shear |first1=Michael |last2=Savage |first2=Charlie |last3=Haberman |first3=Maggie |date=June 16, 2017 |title=Trump Attacks Rosenstein in Latest Rebuke of Justice Department |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/16/us/politics/trump-investigation-comey-russia.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170616152619/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/16/us/politics/trump-investigation-comey-russia.html |archive-date=June 16, 2017 |access-date=March 18, 2018 |work=The New York Times}} In March 2018, Trump reiterated that the "Mueller probe should never have been started" and was a "WITCH HUNT!"{{cite news |last1=Griffiths |first1=Brent |title=Trump slams Comey, mentions Mueller for first time in tweet |url=https://www.politico.com/story/2018/03/17/trump-james-comey-andrew-mccabe-fbi-469008 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180317230051/https://www.politico.com/story/2018/03/17/trump-james-comey-andrew-mccabe-fbi-469008 |archive-date=March 17, 2018 |access-date=March 18, 2018 |work=Politico}}

Trump has tweeted disapproval of Attorney General Jeff Sessions on various occasions.{{cite news |title=Trump intensifies criticism of 'beleaguered' Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions |url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-updates-trump-tweets-beleaguered-a-g-jeff-sessions-htmlstory.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181230165252/https://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-updates-trump-tweets-beleaguered-a-g-jeff-sessions-htmlstory.html |archive-date=December 30, 2018 |access-date=March 18, 2018 |work=Los Angeles Times}}{{cite news |title=Trump accuses Jeff Sessions of taking a 'very weak' position on 'Hillary Clinton crimes' |url=https://www.latimes.com/politics/washington/la-na-essential-washington-updates-trump-accuses-jeff-sessions-of-taking-a-1500980556-htmlstory.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181230180436/https://www.latimes.com/politics/washington/la-na-essential-washington-updates-trump-accuses-jeff-sessions-of-taking-a-1500980556-htmlstory.html |archive-date=December 30, 2018 |access-date=March 18, 2018 |work=Los Angeles Times}}{{cite news |last1=Keneally |first1=Meghan |title=Timeline leading up to Jeff Sessions' recusal and the fallout |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/timeline-leading-jeff-sessions-recusal-fallout/story?id=45855918 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201201223352/https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/timeline-leading-jeff-sessions-recusal-fallout/story?id=45855918 |archive-date=December 1, 2020 |access-date=March 18, 2018 |work=ABC News}}{{cite news |last1=Walters |first1=Joanna |title=Trump attacks Jeff Sessions over inquiry into alleged surveillance abuses |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/feb/28/trump-jeff-sessions-attack-twitter-fisa-investigation |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201113095548/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/feb/28/trump-jeff-sessions-attack-twitter-fisa-investigation |archive-date=November 13, 2020 |access-date=March 18, 2018 |work=The Guardian}}{{cite news |last1=Breuninger |first1=Kevin |title=Trump attacks Attorney General Jeff Sessions again, this time over Obama and Russian meddling |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/21/trump-again-attacks-attorney-general-jeff-sessions-over-russia-probe.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201202142607/https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/21/trump-again-attacks-attorney-general-jeff-sessions-over-russia-probe.html |archive-date=December 2, 2020 |access-date=March 18, 2018 |publisher=CNBC}}

In October 2017, Trump tweeted that Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was "wasting his time trying to negotiate with" North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.{{cite news |last1=Watkins |first1=Eli |title=Trump: Tillerson 'wasting his time' negotiating with North Korea |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2017/10/01/politics/donald-trump-rex-tillerson-north-korea/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210109054449/https://edition.cnn.com/2017/10/01/politics/donald-trump-rex-tillerson-north-korea/index.html |archive-date=January 9, 2021 |access-date=March 18, 2018 |publisher=CNN}} In March 2018, Trump fired Tillerson via a tweet.{{cite news |last1=Singletary |first1=Michelle |title=Trump dumped Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in a tweet. What's the worst way you've been fired? |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/get-there/wp/2018/03/15/trump-dumped-secretary-of-state-rex-tillerson-in-a-tweet-whats-the-worst-way-youve-been-fired/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180317205503/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/get-there/wp/2018/03/15/trump-dumped-secretary-of-state-rex-tillerson-in-a-tweet-whats-the-worst-way-youve-been-fired/ |archive-date=March 17, 2018 |access-date=March 18, 2018 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}

In February 2018, after National Security Advisor H. R. McMaster said there was "incontrovertible" evidence that Russia had interfered in the 2016 election, Trump tweeted that McMaster "forgot to say" that the Russians had colluded with the Democrats and that the Russians had not impacted the election results.{{cite news |last1=Calia |first1=Mike |title=Trump criticizes national security advisor HR McMaster's comments about Russian meddling in the 2016 election |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/18/trump-criticizes-mcmaster-comments-about-russian-meddling-in-election.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107064331/https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/18/trump-criticizes-mcmaster-comments-about-russian-meddling-in-election.html |archive-date=January 7, 2021 |access-date=March 18, 2018 |publisher=CNBC}}

{{Further|Go back to where you came from}}

On July 14, 2019, Trump tweeted that certain Democratic congresswomen—freshmen representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Rashida Tlaib, Ayanna Pressley, and Ilhan Omar, an informal grouping known as "the Squad", all of whom have been critical of Trump—should "go back and help fix the totally broken and crime infested places from which they came" rather than criticize the American government.{{cite news |date=July 15, 2019 |title=Trump to congresswomen of colour: Leave the US |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-48982172 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191003224200/https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-48982172 |archive-date=October 3, 2019 |access-date=July 15, 2019 |work=BBC News}}{{cite news |last1=Silverstein |first1=Jason |date=July 15, 2019 |title=Trump tells Democratic congresswomen of color to "go back" to their countries |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-racist-tweets-progressive-democratic-congresswomen-go-back-to-countries-nancy-pelosi-slam-president/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121070142/https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-racist-tweets-progressive-democratic-congresswomen-go-back-to-countries-nancy-pelosi-slam-president/ |archive-date=January 21, 2021 |access-date=July 15, 2019 |work=CBS News}} Trump's tweet was widely described as racist.Matthew Yglesias, [https://www.vox.com/2019/7/15/20694616/donald-trump-racist-tweets-omar-aoc-tlaib-pressley Trump's racist tirades against "the Squad," explained] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224064923/https://www.vox.com/2019/7/15/20694616/donald-trump-racist-tweets-omar-aoc-tlaib-pressley|date=February 24, 2021}}, Vox (July 18, 2019).Laurie Kellman, [https://apnews.com/article/f80a96ce79934860936ebdc2127c28fc A look at the 'squad' that Trump targeted in racist tweets] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210221152816/https://apnews.com/article/f80a96ce79934860936ebdc2127c28fc|date=February 21, 2021}}, Associated Press (July 15, 2019).William Cummings, [https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/07/17/four-gop-house-members-voted-condemn-trump-racist-tweets/1753365001/ The 4 House Republicans who voted with Democrats to condemn Trump's racist tweets toward 'The Squad'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200528202838/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2019/07/17/four-gop-house-members-voted-condemn-trump-racist-tweets/1753365001/|date=May 28, 2020}}, USA Today (July 17, 2019).

Ocasio-Cortez, Tlaib, and Pressley are all native-born citizens of the United States, and Omar has been a naturalized citizen since 2000. Trump's "go back" Tweet was an example of false attribution of foreignness.{{cite news |last1=Keller |first1=Jared |date=July 18, 2019 |title=The Most Disturbing Thing About Trump's Racism Is How American It Is |url=https://psmag.com/ideas/the-most-disturbing-thing-about-trumps-racism-is-how-american-it-is |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210116112849/https://psmag.com/ideas/the-most-disturbing-thing-about-trumps-racism-is-how-american-it-is |archive-date=January 16, 2021 |access-date=July 20, 2019 |website=Pacific Standard |quote=By rhetorically conflating race and ethnicity with "foreignness," Trump has revealed the white nationalist roots of his twisted logic more so than ever before.}}{{cite news |last1=Rogers |first1=Katie |last2=Fandos |first2=Nicholas |date=July 14, 2019 |title=Trump Tells Congresswomen to 'Go Back' to the Countries They Came From |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/14/us/politics/trump-twitter-squad-congress.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210110074019/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/14/us/politics/trump-twitter-squad-congress.html |archive-date=January 10, 2021 |access-date=July 20, 2019 |work=The New York Times |quote=Even though Mr. Trump has repeatedly refused to back down from stoking racial divisions, his willingness to deploy a lowest-rung slur – one commonly and crudely used to single out the perceived foreignness of nonwhite, non-Christian people – was largely regarded as beyond the pale.}} House speaker Nancy Pelosi described Trump's tweets as xenophobic. Several Republican senators and representatives condemned Trump's tweets as xenophobic and not representative of the party's values and requested that he disavow them.{{cite news |last1=Byrd |first1=Haley |last2=Malveaux |first2=Suzanne |last3=Killough |first3=Ashley |last4=Wallace |first4=Gregory |last5=Kaufman |first5=Ellie |last6=Barrett |first6=Ted |last7=Foran |first7=Clare |last8=Rogers |first8=Alex |title=Which GOP lawmakers have condemned Trump's tweet |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/15/politics/republican-members-of-congress-trump-tweets/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210213024326/https://www.cnn.com/2019/07/15/politics/republican-members-of-congress-trump-tweets/index.html |archive-date=February 13, 2021 |access-date=July 15, 2019 |publisher=CNN}} Two days after Trump's tweet, the House of Representatives voted 240–187 to condemn Trump's "racist comments"; all Democrats voted to pass the resolution of condemnation, but only 4 of the 197 House Republicans joined them. Many white nationalists/white supremacists praised Trump's tweet.{{cite news |last=Farivar |first=Masood |date=July 16, 2019 |title=Many White Nationalists Praise Controversial Trump Tweets |url=https://www.voanews.com/a/usa_many-white-nationalists-praise-controversial-trump-tweets/6172004.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107080516/https://www.voanews.com/usa/many-white-nationalists-praise-controversial-trump-tweets |archive-date=January 7, 2021 |access-date=July 19, 2019 |work=Voice of America}}{{cite news |last1=Simon |first1=Mallory |last2=Sidner |first2=Sara |date=July 16, 2019 |title=Trump said 'many people agree' with his racist tweets. These white supremacists certainly do. |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2019/07/16/politics/white-supremacists-cheer-trump-racist-tweets-soh/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210108233651/https://edition.cnn.com/2019/07/16/politics/white-supremacists-cheer-trump-racist-tweets-soh/index.html |archive-date=January 8, 2021 |access-date=July 19, 2019 |publisher=CNN}} Commentators pointed out that during the campaign, Trump had criticized America in far stronger terms than those now used by Squad members.{{cite news |last=Woodward |first=Calvin |date=July 18, 2019 |title=Trump says critics hate America, despite his own US putdowns |url=https://www.apnews.com/6818969e655b4eea9d123827a52f4ffb |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309025809/https://apnews.com/6818969e655b4eea9d123827a52f4ffb |archive-date=March 9, 2021 |access-date=July 20, 2019 |work=Associated Press}} Trump's remarks were condemned by many world leaders including Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau (who said that the comments were "hurtful, wrong and completely unacceptable"),{{cite news |last=Tasker |first=John Paul |date=July 18, 2019 |title=EU president takes shot at Trump's 'unacceptable' tweets after Trudeau meeting |url=https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/eu-president-trump-trudeau-meeting-1.5216559 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190720012100/https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/eu-president-trump-trudeau-meeting-1.5216559 |archive-date=July 20, 2019 |access-date=July 20, 2019 |publisher=CBC News}} German chancellor Angela Merkel (who expressed "solidarity with the attacked women"),{{cite news |title=Angela Merkel says she rejects Trump's racist remarks, stands 'in solidarity' with Ilhan Omar |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2019/07/18/trump-supporters-chanted-send-her-back-around-world-others-said-istandwithilhan/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190719153440/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2019/07/18/trump-supporters-chanted-send-her-back-around-world-others-said-istandwithilhan/ |archive-date=July 19, 2019 |access-date=July 20, 2019 |newspaper=The Washington Post}} and president of the European Council Donald Tusk ("sometimes if you feel that something is totally unacceptable you have to react despite business, despite interests").

Trump denied that his tweets were racist and did not apologize for his remarks, saying at a White House press conference, "If somebody has a problem with our country, if someone doesn't want to be in our country, they should leave."{{cite news |date=July 15, 2019 |title='You can leave': Trump unrepentant over racist attack on congresswomen |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jul/15/donald-trump-congresswomen-republicans-ocasio-cortez-tlaib-pressley-omar |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210131132339/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/jul/15/donald-trump-congresswomen-republicans-ocasio-cortez-tlaib-pressley-omar |archive-date=January 31, 2021 |access-date=July 23, 2019 |work=The Guardian}}

In August 2019, Trump tweeted that Omar and Tlaib resolutely "hate Israel & all Jewish people", and that Israel permitting them to visit the country would "show great weakness". Less than two hours later, Israel blocked the entry of Omar and Tlaib, which was a reversal from statements made in July 2019 by Israeli Ambassador to the United States Ron Dermer. Spokesmen for Israeli ministers did not cite Trump as contributing to the blockage.{{cite news |last1=Ahren |first1=Rafael |date=August 15, 2019 |title=And then Trump tweeted – Why Israel suddenly decided to bar 2 US congresswomen |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/and-then-trump-tweeted-why-israel-suddenly-decided-to-snub-2-us-congresswomen/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210115234902/https://www.timesofisrael.com/and-then-trump-tweeted-why-israel-suddenly-decided-to-snub-2-us-congresswomen/ |archive-date=January 15, 2021 |access-date=August 16, 2019 |work=The Times of Israel}} Trump applauded Israel's decision while continuing his criticism of Omar and Tlaib; he described them as "the face of the Democrat Party, and they HATE Israel".{{cite news |last1=Lee |first1=Matthew |last2=Miller |first2=Zeke |date=August 16, 2019 |title=AP Analysis: Trump uses Israel to fuel partisan fires |url=https://apnews.com/article/80ddb437ab9f42d1807b3a97b8c9e07d/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210121234830/https://apnews.com/article/80ddb437ab9f42d1807b3a97b8c9e07d |archive-date=January 21, 2021 |access-date=August 16, 2019 |work=Associated Press}}

{{Further|Death of Jeffrey Epstein#Homicide suspicions and conspiracy theories}}

In August 2019, after the death of Jeffrey Epstein, Trump retweeted a video from right-wing comedian Terrence K. Williams that baselessly accused the Clintons of murdering Epstein. Trump's promotion of false conspiracy theories was condemned; US senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, then a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, warned that Trump's "whipping people into anger" could lead to violence.{{cite web |date=August 10, 2019 |title=Trump Retweets Conspiracy Theory on Epstein Death-Clinton Link |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-08-10/trump-retweets-conspiracy-theory-about-jeffrey-epstein-s-death |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126015025/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-08-10/trump-retweets-conspiracy-theory-about-jeffrey-epstein-s-death |archive-date=January 26, 2021 |access-date=February 9, 2021 |publisher=Bloomberg}} Trump defended the retweet, calling Williams "a highly respected conservative pundit" and then repeated his suggestion that the Clintons might have murdered Epstein.Aaron Rupar, [https://www.vox.com/2019/8/13/20804322/trump-defends-epstein-clinton-conspiracy-retweet-terrence-k-williams Trump's bizarre attempt to defend retweeting an Epstein conspiracy theory] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201107231749/https://www.vox.com/2019/8/13/20804322/trump-defends-epstein-clinton-conspiracy-retweet-terrence-k-williams|date=November 7, 2020}}, Vox (August 13, 2019).

During the COVID-19 pandemic, several people protested the lockdowns and demanded that states be reopened. On April 17, Trump tweeted calling for the "liberation" of Michigan, Minnesota, and Virginia in all caps. The tweets were widely criticized and "Liberate America" soon trended on Twitter after Trump's remarks.{{Cite news |last=McCord |first=Mary |title=Trump's 'LIBERATE MICHIGAN!' tweets incite insurrection. That's illegal. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/04/17/liberate-michigan-trump-constitution/ |url-access=limited |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210225044019/https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/04/17/liberate-michigan-trump-constitution/ |archive-date=February 25, 2021 |access-date=July 20, 2020 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}{{Cite news |date=April 18, 2020 |title=In Twitter showdown, Trump calls to 'liberate' states with Covid-19 stay-home orders |url=https://www.france24.com/en/20200418-in-twitter-showdown-trump-calls-to-liberate-states-with-covid-19-stay-home-orders |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201123234705/https://www.france24.com/en/20200418-in-twitter-showdown-trump-calls-to-liberate-states-with-covid-19-stay-home-orders |archive-date=November 23, 2020 |access-date=July 20, 2020 |publisher=France 24}}

In July 2020, Linkin Park issued a cease and desist letter to Donald Trump for retweeting a campaign video that featured an unlicensed song. Twitter soon disabled the video.{{Cite news |last=Jackson |first=Amanda |date=July 19, 2020 |title=Linkin Park sends cease and desist to Trump campaign for using their music |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/19/us/linkin-park-trump-campaign-video-trnd/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200912064717/https://www.cnn.com/2020/07/19/us/linkin-park-trump-campaign-video-trnd/index.html |archive-date=September 12, 2020 |access-date=July 20, 2020 |publisher=CNN}}

{{tweet

| text = So disgusting to watch Twitter's so-called "Trending", where sooo many trends are about me, and never a good one. They look for anything they can find, make it as bad as possible, and blow it up, trying to make it trend. Really ridiculous, illegal, and, of course, very unfair!

| name = Donald J. Trump 15px

| image = Donald Trump official portrait (cropped).jpg

| username = realDonaldTrump

| date = July 27, 2020

| ID = 1287880895051907072

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201117153413/https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1287880895051907072

| archive-date = November 17, 2020

| url-status = dead

| ref-name = TweetrealDonaldTrump_4

}}

On July 27, 2020, Trump criticized the Twitter Trending section for spreading trends that negatively portrayed him, calling it "really ridiculous, illegal, and, of course, very unfair!"{{Cite news |last=Coleman |first=Justine |date=July 27, 2020 |title=Trump blasts 'trending' section on Twitter: 'Really ridiculous, illegal, and, of course, very unfair!' |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/509286-trump-blasts-trending-section-on-twitter-really-ridiculous-illegal/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230406120337/https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/509286-trump-blasts-trending-section-on-twitter-really-ridiculous-illegal/ |archive-date=April 6, 2023 |access-date=April 16, 2024 |work=The Hill}} Many Twitter users condemned this tweet, claiming that users were simply exercising First Amendment rights. In response to the tweet, "#TrumpleThinSkin" and "#ThePresidentIsACrybaby" became trending hashtags in the United States.{{cite web |last=Jankowicz |first=Mia |title=#ThePresidentIsACrybaby and #TrumpleThinSkin became top Twitter trends after Trump complained about mean Twitter trends |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/anti-trump-trends-surge-on-twitter-after-he-complains-2020-7 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210206013442/https://www.businessinsider.com/anti-trump-trends-surge-on-twitter-after-he-complains-2020-7 |archive-date=February 6, 2021 |access-date=July 29, 2020 |website=Business Insider}}

In an effort to press his campaign for the border wall between the US and Mexico, Trump repeatedly posted tweets seeking "to paint a portrait of widespread criminal conduct by undocumented immigrants."Linda Qiu, [https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/12/us/politics/trump-illegal-immigration-statistics.html Explaining Trump's Tweet on Crimes by Immigrants] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210215075436/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/12/us/politics/trump-illegal-immigration-statistics.html|date=February 15, 2021}}, The New York Times (January 12, 2019). His tweets on illegal immigration contained nonsensicalGlenn Kessler, [https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/12/us/politics/trump-illegal-immigration-statistics.html President Trump tweets nonsensical figures on illegal immigration] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210215075436/https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/12/us/politics/trump-illegal-immigration-statistics.html|date=February 15, 2021}}, The New York Times (January 12, 2019). and exaggerated figures, and lacked significant context. For example, in January 2019, Trump complained that "the cost of illegal immigration" for the four weeks of the year "is $18,959,495,168" and that the "at least 25,772,342 illegal aliens" were in the US; neither claim was accurate, and the administration did not respond to requests to explain these figures. In other tweets, Trump exaggerated the percentage of federal prison inmates who were unauthorized immigrants and the number of the illegal border-crossings (which had been declining for almost 20 years by the time Trump took office). Trump also seized upon high-profile crimes committed by illegal immigrants, such as Wilbur Ernesto Martinez-Guzman,{{cite news |last1=Rosenblatt |first1=Kahlan |date=January 21, 2019 |title=Man already in custody believed to be connected to string of Nevada murders |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/man-already-custody-believed-be-connected-string-nevada-murders-n960971 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128180709/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/man-already-custody-believed-be-connected-string-nevada-murders-n960971 |archive-date=November 28, 2020 |access-date=January 22, 2019 |work=NBC News}}{{cite news |last1=Morton |first1=Victor |date=January 21, 2019 |title=Trump seizes upon Wilbur Martinez-Guzman case, demands 'powerful' border wall |url=https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/jan/21/wilbur-martinez-guzman-case-draws-donald-trumps-ir/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108012827/https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2019/jan/21/wilbur-martinez-guzman-case-draws-donald-trumps-ir/ |archive-date=November 8, 2020 |access-date=January 22, 2019 |work=The Washington Times}} Gustavo Arriaga Perez,{{cite news |last1=Guerra |first1=Patty |date=January 10, 2019 |title=Brother of Newman Corporal Ronil Singh appears with President Trump in visit to border |url=https://www.modbee.com/news/politics-government/article224246380.html#storylink=cpy |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201118173337/https://www.modbee.com/news/politics-government/article224246380.html#storylink=cpy |archive-date=November 18, 2020 |access-date=January 11, 2019 |publisher=Modesto Bee}} and Cristhian Bahena Rivera.{{cite news |last1=Cannon |first1=Austin |date=August 21, 2018 |title=Trump says Mollie Tibbetts' death 'should've never happened,' calls immigration laws 'a disgrace' |url=https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/2018/08/21/mollie-tibbetts-missing-iowa-student-body-found-donald-trump-immigration/1058489002/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309025826/https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/2018/08/21/mollie-tibbetts-missing-iowa-student-body-found-donald-trump-immigration/1058489002/ |archive-date=March 9, 2021 |access-date=January 22, 2019 |work=The Des Moines Register}}

On July 23, 2020, Trump tweeted that the "suburban housewives of America" must read an article from the New York Post, claiming that his Democratic rival Joe Biden would "destroy your neighborhood and the American dream" if elected.{{Cite news |author=Domenico Montanaro |date=July 26, 2020 |title=Trump Tries To Appeal To 'Housewives' And White Suburbs, But His Views Seem Outdated |url=https://www.npr.org/2020/07/26/895228366/trumps-trying-to-appeal-to-real-housewives-and-white-suburbs-but-they-re-declini |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309025838/https://www.npr.org/2020/07/26/895228366/trumps-trying-to-appeal-to-real-housewives-and-white-suburbs-but-they-re-declini |archive-date=March 9, 2021 |access-date=July 30, 2020 |publisher=NPR}}

Also in July 2020, the Trump administration had made changes to the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing implemented by the Obama administration. This act mandated local communities to fix any prejudices regarding building low-income housing before receiving federal funds. Trump tweeted that "people living their Suburban Lifestyle Dream" would "no longer be bothered" by low-income housing being built in their communities.{{Cite news |last=Wilkie |first=Christina |date=July 29, 2020 |title=Trump tells suburban voters they will 'no longer be bothered' by low-income housing |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/29/trump-suburban-voters-will-no-longer-be-bothered-by-low-income-housing.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210301090020/https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/29/trump-suburban-voters-will-no-longer-be-bothered-by-low-income-housing.html |archive-date=March 1, 2021 |access-date=July 30, 2020 |publisher=CNBC}}

{{Further|Misinformation related to the COVID-19 pandemic}}

On October 5, 2020, Trump tweeted that he would be leaving Walter Reed Army Medical Center, 3 days after being admitted after testing positive for COVID-19, writing "Don't be afraid of Covid. Don't let it dominate your life. We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge. I feel better than I did 20 years ago!"[https://khn.org/morning-breakout/shock-rage-flare-over-trumps-reckless-tweet-downplaying-covid-danger/ Shock, Rage Flare Over Trump's 'Reckless' Tweet Downplaying COVID Danger] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107115806/https://khn.org/morning-breakout/shock-rage-flare-over-trumps-reckless-tweet-downplaying-covid-danger/|date=January 7, 2021}}, Kaiser Health News (October 6, 2020).Gina Kolata & Roni Caryn Rabin, [https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/05/health/trump-covid-public-health.html 'Don't Be Afraid of Covid,' Trump Says, Undermining Public Health Messages] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210210161816/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/10/05/health/trump-covid-public-health.html|date=February 10, 2021}}, The New York Times (October 5, 2020). Trump's tweet undermined public health messaging and encouraged followers to disregard recommendations to prevent the spread of COVID-19. Scientific, medical, public health, and ethical experts, pandemic survivors, and the families those killed by COVID-19 expressed horror and dismay at Trump's attempt to downplay the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, which at the time of Trump's tweet had killed at least 210,000 Americans.

In Twitter and Facebook posts early the next morning, Trump falsely claimed that seasonal flu was more lethal than COVID-19; Twitter placed a warning message over the tweet, while Facebook deleted it entirely, based on the sites' policies against the spread of COVID-19 misinformation.{{cite news |last1=O'Sullivan |first1=Donie |date=October 6, 2020 |title=Facebook removes Trump post falsely saying flu is more lethal than Covid |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/10/06/tech/facebook-trump-covid-flu-false/index.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126003040/https://edition.cnn.com/2020/10/06/tech/facebook-trump-covid-flu-false/index.html |archive-date=January 26, 2021 |access-date=October 6, 2020 |publisher=CNN}}{{cite news |last=Greenberg |first=Jon |date=October 6, 2020 |title=Donald Trump's false claim that COVID-19 is less deadly than the flu |url=https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/oct/06/donald-trump/donald-trumps-false-claim-covid-19-less-deadly-flu/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210117213610/https://www.politifact.com/factchecks/2020/oct/06/donald-trump/donald-trumps-false-claim-covid-19-less-deadly-flu/ |archive-date=January 17, 2021 |access-date=November 12, 2020 |work=PolitiFact}} Several hours later, Trump reacted by tweeting: "REPEAL SECTION 230!!!"—a reference to section 230 of Title 47 of the US Code, which immunizes technology companies from liability for moderation decisions.

Trump's public statement in the form of a tweet announcing he tested positive for coronavirus was his most-liked tweet ever.{{cite news |last1=Conklin |first1=Audrey |date=October 2, 2020 |title=Trump's COVID-19 announcement becomes his most-liked tweet ever |url=https://www.yahoo.com/video/trumps-covid-19-announcement-becomes-185900698.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220720151223/https://www.yahoo.com/video/trumps-covid-19-announcement-becomes-185900698.html |archive-date=July 20, 2022 |access-date=July 13, 2022 |work=Yahoo! News |quote=President Trump's Friday morning tweet announcing he tested positive for coronavirus has become his most-liked tweet ever, according to Twitter data.}}{{cite news |last1=Murdock |first1=Jason |date=November 3, 2020 |title=Donald Trump's Most Liked Tweets in the past Four Years |url=https://www.newsweek.com/president-donald-trump-most-liked-tweets-last-four-years-2016-2020-1544304 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220720151205/https://www.newsweek.com/president-donald-trump-most-liked-tweets-last-four-years-2016-2020-1544304 |archive-date=July 20, 2022 |access-date=July 13, 2022 |work=Newsweek |quote=With close to 1.9 million likes, Trump's most-favorited tweet throughout his term remains his announcement that he and the First Lady tested positive for COVID-19, which was posted October 2 this year and also attracted hundreds of thousands of shares.}}

{{Main|Covfefe}}

{{tweet

| text = Despite the constant negative press covfefe

| name = Donald J. Trump 15px

| image = Donald Trump official portrait (cropped).jpg

| username = realDonaldTrump

| id = 869766994899468288

| date = May 30, 2017

| reference = {{efn |name=covfefe-tweet |The "covfefe" tweets are, in chronological order:

• {{cite tweet |user=realDonaldTrump |first=Donald J. |last=Trump |author-link=Donald Trump |number=869766994899468288 |date=May 31, 2017 |title=Despite the constant negative press covfefe |access-date=May 31, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170531060414/https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/869766994899468288 |archive-date=May 31, 2017 |url-status=dead}}
• {{cite tweet |user=realDonaldTrump |first=Donald J. |last=Trump |author-link=Donald Trump |number=869858333477523458 |date=May 31, 2017 |title=Who can figure out the true meaning of "covfefe" ??? Enjoy! |access-date=June 7, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107044908/https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/869858333477523458|archive-date=January 7, 2021}}

}}

}}

File:COVFEFE Act.pdf

On May 31, 2017, Trump sent a tweet that read, in its entirety, "Despite the constant negative press covfefe". It immediately went viral as an Internet meme and a source of jokes. It got over 127,000 retweets and 162,000 likes, making it one of Trump's most popular tweets in months. Six hours later, Trump deleted it and issued a new tweet asking what people thought {{em|covfefe}} might mean. The Independent later speculated that {{em|covfefe}} was a typo for {{em|coverage}}.{{cite news |author=Griffin, Andrew |date=May 31, 2017 |title=Covfefe: What does Donald Trump's tweet actually mean and what was he trying to write? |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/covfefe-donald-trump-tweet-twitter-what-mean-write-negative-press-us-media-president-late-night-a7764496.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191028171157/https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/gadgets-and-tech/news/covfefe-donald-trump-tweet-twitter-what-mean-write-negative-press-us-media-president-late-night-a7764496.html |archive-date=October 28, 2019 |access-date=January 28, 2018 |work=The Independent}}

Off-camera, at a press briefing later the same day, White House press secretary Sean Spicer explained that "the president and a small group of people know exactly what he meant". No further explanation was given during the briefing. Some reporters said that Spicer did not appear to be joking. Conservative columnist Jonah Goldberg suggested in the National Review that "Spicer feels compelled to protect the myth of Trumpian infallibility at all costs". The Atlantic{{'s}} Megan Garber felt that Spicer's response further divided the White House from the public by unnecessarily creating a "whiff of conspiracy" around a likely typo. At The Washington Post, Callum Borchers argued that Spicer's response had been deliberately obscure to distract the public from other controversies.

Leonid Bershidsky, writing for Bloomberg View, compared the phenomenon to President Ronald Reagan's joke on a live microphone, "We begin bombing in five minutes."{{citation |last=Bershidsky |first=Leonid |title=Why I didn't laugh at Trump's 'covfefe' tweet: Bloomberg View |date=June 4, 2017 |url=http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2017/06/why_i_didnt_laugh_at_trumps_co.html |access-date=June 5, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170604182748/http://www.oregonlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2017/06/why_i_didnt_laugh_at_trumps_co.html |archive-date=June 4, 2017 |url-status=live |publisher=Bloomberg View |author-link=Leonid Bershidsky}} Bill Coffin of Compliance Week compared the two incidents: "In Reagan's case, he immediately admitted the error and squashed it. In Trump's case, he sent a wrong message and then allowed it to sit for hours untended."{{citation |last=Coffin |first=Bill |title=Compliance and covfefe |date=June 4, 2017 |work=Compliance Week |url=https://www.complianceweek.com/blogs/coffin-on-compliance/compliance-and-covfefe |access-date=June 6, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170605223740/https://www.complianceweek.com/blogs/coffin-on-compliance/compliance-and-covfefe |archive-date=June 5, 2017 |url-status=live}}

About a year later, on May 17, 2018, Trump jokingly said "I hear covfefe" in response to the Yanny or Laurel meme.{{cite news |date=May 17, 2018 |title=Laurel, Yanny or ... covfefe? White House joins in on debate |url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-laurel-yanny-white-house-video-20180517-story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181106000836/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/ct-laurel-yanny-white-house-video-20180517-story.html |archive-date=November 6, 2018 |access-date=May 18, 2018 |work=Chicago Tribune |agency=Associated Press}}

Trump made several controversial tweets during his impeachment inquiry, first impeachment by the House (December 2019), and first Senate trial and acquittal (February 2020).

In a late September 2019 tweet, Trump controversially quoted Texas pastor Robert Jeffress, who stated that if Trump was removed from office, it would cause a "Civil War like fracture, from which this country would never heal".Mary B. McCord, [https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/armed-militias-are-taking-trumps-civil-war-tweets-seriously Armed Militias Are Taking Trump's Civil War Tweets Seriously] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240113132555/https://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/armed-militias-are-taking-trumps-civil-war-tweets-seriously|date=January 13, 2024}}, Lawfare (October 2, 2019). His comments were criticized by Senator Kamala Harris (Democrat of California), who urged Twitter to suspend Trump's account,Adi Robertson, [https://www.theverge.com/2019/10/2/20894831/kamala-harris-trump-twitter-letter-jack-dorsey-suspend-civil-war-whistleblower-treason-schiff Kamala Harris asks Twitter to suspend Donald Trump for 'civil war' and whistleblower tweets] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112003455/https://www.theverge.com/2019/10/2/20894831/kamala-harris-trump-twitter-letter-jack-dorsey-suspend-civil-war-whistleblower-treason-schiff|date=November 12, 2020}}, The Verge (October 2, 2019). and Representative Adam Kinzinger (Republican of Illinois), who called it "beyond repugnant."Mike Murphy, [https://www.marketwatch.com/story/republican-lawmaker-denounces-trumps-tweet-predicting-civil-war-if-hes-impeached-2019-09-29 Rep. Adam Kinzinger calls Trump's tweet 'beyond repugnant'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201112003516/https://www.marketwatch.com/story/republican-lawmaker-denounces-trumps-tweet-predicting-civil-war-if-hes-impeached-2019-09-29|date=November 12, 2020}}, MarketWatch (September 30, 2019). Harvard Law School professor John Coates argued that "a sitting president threatening civil war if Congress exercises its constitutionally authorized power" constituted an independent ground for impeachment.Alexandra Hutzler, [https://www.newsweek.com/trump-civil-war-tweet-grounds-impeachment-1462044 Trump's 'Civil War' Quote Tweet Is Actually Grounds for Impeachment, Says Harvard Law Professor] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200626205522/https://www.newsweek.com/trump-civil-war-tweet-grounds-impeachment-1462044|date=June 26, 2020}}, Newsweek (September 30, 2019). Mary B. McCord of Georgetown University Law School, a former Justice Department national security official, said that armed militia-movement groups were likely to take Trump's "civil war" tweets seriously. #CivilWar2 trended on Twitter soon after Trump's tweet.{{Cite news |date=September 30, 2019 |title="Civil War 2" trends on Twitter after Trump quotes speculation that impeachment would spark "civil war" |url=https://www.ktvq.com/news/national-news/civil-war-2-trends-on-twitter-after-trump-quotes-speculation-that-impeachment-would-spark-civil-war |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210211050001/https://www.ktvq.com/news/national-news/civil-war-2-trends-on-twitter-after-trump-quotes-speculation-that-impeachment-would-spark-civil-war |archive-date=February 11, 2021 |access-date=July 10, 2020 |publisher=KTVQ}}

Trump repeatedly used Twitter to attack and threaten US representative Adam Schiff, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, who led the investigation into the Trump–Ukraine scandal and served as the lead House impeachment manager during Trump's Senate trial.Catherine Kim, [https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2020/1/26/21082416/impeachment-adam-schiff-trump-twitter Trump says Schiff has "not yet paid the price" for his impeachment role] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126214448/https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2020/1/26/21082416/impeachment-adam-schiff-trump-twitter|date=January 26, 2021}}, Vox (January 26, 2020).Sheryl Gay Stolberg, [https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/26/us/politics/trump-schiff-impeachment.html Schiff, Calling Trump 'Wrathful and Vindictive,' Sees Tweet as a Threat] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122003958/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/01/26/us/politics/trump-schiff-impeachment.html|date=January 22, 2021}}, The New York Times (January 26, 2020). In a September 30, 2019, tweet, Trump suggested that Schiff be arrested for treason.Quint Forgey, [https://www.politico.com/news/2019/09/30/trump-adam-schiff-twitter-attacks-011594 Trump suggests arresting Adam Schiff for 'treason'] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210215062850/https://www.politico.com/news/2019/09/30/trump-adam-schiff-twitter-attacks-011594|date=February 15, 2021}}, Politico (September 30, 2019). In a January 26, 2020, tweet, during his Senate trial, Trump called Schiff "a CORRUPT POLITICIAN, and probably a very sick man" who "has not paid the price, yet, for what he has done to our Country!" When asked about the apparent veiled threat on Meet the Press,Felicia Sonmez & Elise Viebeck, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/schiff-has-not-paid-the-price-for-impeachment-trump-says-in-what-appears-to-be-veiled-threat/2020/01/26/539e26ee-404a-11ea-b503-2b077c436617_story.html Schiff 'has not paid the price' for impeachment, Trump says in what appears to be veiled threat] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107064122/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/schiff-has-not-paid-the-price-for-impeachment-trump-says-in-what-appears-to-be-veiled-threat/2020/01/26/539e26ee-404a-11ea-b503-2b077c436617_story.html|date=January 7, 2021}}, The Washington Post (January 26, 2020). Schiff said he believed that Trump intended to threaten him and said that Trump was a "wrathful and vindictive president" who "wants to at least give the suggestion that the retribution should be of a kind other than at the ballot box."Chandelis Duster & Kristen Holmes, [https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/26/politics/adam-schiff-trump-tweet-intimidate-impeachment-trial/index.html Schiff calls Trump 'vindictive' and says Trump's tweet was intended to intimidate] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201205233447/https://www.cnn.com/2020/01/26/politics/adam-schiff-trump-tweet-intimidate-impeachment-trial/index.html|date=December 5, 2020}}, CNN (January 27, 2020).

Trump also repeatedly used Twitter to attack and threaten the whistleblower who submitted a report to the Intelligence Community inspector general about Trump's conduct; Trump also used Twitter to spread conspiracy theories about the whistleblower.Brian Stelter, [https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/28/politics/trump-ukraine-whistleblower-twitter/index.html Trump attacks whistleblower in tweetstorm full of rants and conspiracies] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309025806/https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/28/politics/trump-ukraine-whistleblower-twitter/index.html|date=March 9, 2021}}, CNN (December 28, 2019). In December 2019, Trump retweeted a link to an unconfirmed Washington Examiner story that purported to identify the whistleblower, although whistle-blowers' identifies are protected by federal law.Bobby Allyn, [https://www.npr.org/2019/12/29/792222297/trump-comes-under-fire-after-sharing-name-on-twitter-of-alleged-whistleblower Trump Criticized After Sharing Name Of Alleged Whistleblower On Twitter] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309025844/https://www.npr.org/2019/12/29/792222297/trump-comes-under-fire-after-sharing-name-on-twitter-of-alleged-whistleblower|date=March 9, 2021}}, NPR (December 29, 2019).Colby Itkowitz, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-retweets--then-deletes--a-post-naming-the-alleged-whistleblower/2019/12/28/aa518350-2989-11ea-9c21-2c2a4d2c2166_story.html Trump retweets a post naming the alleged whistleblower] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201011210208/https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-retweets--then-deletes--a-post-naming-the-alleged-whistleblower/2019/12/28/aa518350-2989-11ea-9c21-2c2a4d2c2166_story.html|date=October 11, 2020}}, The Washington Post (December 28, 2019). Trump was criticized for this.

In late October 2019, Trump tweeted that the impeachment inquiry against him was "a lynching" and that he lacked "due process or fairness or any legal rights." The tweet, and especially its racially charged language, drew widespread backlash, with Democrats condemning the remarks and some Republicans issuing mild criticism.{{Cite news |author=Brian Naylor |date=October 22, 2019 |title=Trump Calls Impeachment Inquiry a 'Lynching' |url=https://www.npr.org/2019/10/22/772206600/trump-calls-impeachment-inquiry-a-lynching |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309025815/https://www.npr.org/2019/10/22/772206600/trump-calls-impeachment-inquiry-a-lynching |archive-date=March 9, 2021 |access-date=July 9, 2020 |publisher=NPR}}{{Cite news |author1=Darlene Superville |author2=Jay Reeves |date=October 22, 2019 |title=Trump likens House impeachment inquiry to 'a lynching' |url=https://apnews.com/article/48aa35f1bcea4bf1a34305836022bc96 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210309025820/https://apnews.com/article/48aa35f1bcea4bf1a34305836022bc96 |archive-date=March 9, 2021 |access-date=February 22, 2021 |work=Associated Press}} (House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy called it "not the language I would use" and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called it an "unfortunate choice of words."){{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IVppRCIkqc |title=How Republicans responded to Trump's 'lynching' tweet |date=October 22, 2019 |newspaper=The Washington Post |access-date=December 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221120193552/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6IVppRCIkqc |archive-date=November 20, 2022 |url-status=live |via=YouTube}} Some Republicans supported Trump's comparison to a "lynching" or defended his comments, such as Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Congressman Jim Jordan of Ohio.{{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7vfTr6elkA |title=Trump under fire after comparing impeachment inquiry to a "lynching" |date=October 22, 2019 |publisher=CBS Evening News |access-date=December 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221120193541/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k7vfTr6elkA |archive-date=November 20, 2022 |url-status=live |via=YouTube}}{{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MBxJlsguqg |title=Jordan: 'Lynching' tweet due to Trump frustration |date=October 27, 2019 |publisher=AP Archive |access-date=December 2, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221120200845/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2MBxJlsguqg |archive-date=November 20, 2022 |url-status=live |via=YouTube}}

{{further|Knight First Amendment Institute v. Trump}}

The @realDonaldTrump account has blocked an unknown number of Twitter accounts from viewing his Twitter feed, including individuals such as Rosie O'Donnell, Anne Rice, Chrissy Teigen, Stephen King, Bess Kalb, Andy Signore, Angelo Carusone, Laura Packard and Daniel Dale, and organizations such as VoteVets.org.{{cite news |last1=Pearl |first1=Diana |date=May 23, 2018 |title=Good News, Chrissy Teigen: Judge Rules Trump Violates First Amendment by Blocking Twitter Followers |url=https://people.com/politics/people-president-trump-blocked-twitter-chrissy-teigen-stephen-king/ |work=People |archive-date=November 1, 2020 |access-date=February 19, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101064507/https://people.com/politics/people-president-trump-blocked-twitter-chrissy-teigen-stephen-king/ |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last1=Shanahan |first1=Mark |date=June 13, 2017 |title=Stephen King has been blocked by Trump on Twitter |url=https://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/names/2017/06/13/stephen-king-has-been-blocked-trump-twitter/7KrPmL4R0zM6TVapNi18HM/story.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170613235536/https://www.bostonglobe.com/lifestyle/names/2017/06/13/stephen-king-has-been-blocked-trump-twitter/7KrPmL4R0zM6TVapNi18HM/story.html |archive-date=June 13, 2017 |access-date=June 14, 2017 |work=The Boston Globe}}{{Cite web |last=Popplewell |first=Brett |date=May 10, 2018 |title=Inside the Toronto Star's Bold Plan to Save Itself |url=https://thewalrus.ca/inside-the-toronto-stars-bold-plan-to-save-itself/ |access-date=May 2, 2021 |website=The Walrus |language=en-US |quote=Dale ... stared at the screen, dumbfounded: "@realDonaldTrump blocked you." ... Before the day was out, the Star readied a story about how its man in Washington had joined Stephen King, Rosie O'Donnell, and one of Jimmy Kimmel's writers on the president's "blocked" list. |archive-date=May 5, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210505081945/https://thewalrus.ca/inside-the-toronto-stars-bold-plan-to-save-itself/ |url-status=live }}{{cite news |last1=Shelbourne |first1=Mallory |date=June 13, 2017 |title=Trump blocks veterans group on Twitter |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/337560-trump-blocks-veterans-group-on-twitter/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170613235542/http://thehill.com/homenews/administration/337560-trump-blocks-veterans-group-on-twitter |archive-date=June 13, 2017 |access-date=June 14, 2017 |work=The Hill}}

In July 2017, a lawsuit was brought by the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University in the US District Court for the Southern District of New York. The plaintiffs were seven Twitter users – Philip N. Cohen, Eugene Gu, Holly Figueroa O'Reilly, Nicholas Pappas, Joseph M. Papp, Rebecca Buckwalter-Poza, and Brandon Neely – whose accounts had been blocked by Trump's personal Twitter account, alleging that the @realDonaldTrump account constitutes a public forum.{{cite news |last=Hutchinson |first=Bill |date=May 24, 2018 |title=Here are the 7 tweets that led to landmark court decision against Trump |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/tweets-led-landmark-court-decision-trump/story?id=55407710 |work=ABC News |archive-date=January 28, 2021 |access-date=February 19, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128065930/https://abcnews.go.com/US/tweets-led-landmark-court-decision-trump/story?id=55407710 |url-status=live }} The lawsuit argued that blocking access to the @realDonaldTrump account is a violation of constitutional rights and a violation of the plaintiff's First Amendment rights.{{cite news |last=Savage |first=Charlie |date=July 11, 2017 |title=Twitter Users Blocked by Trump File Lawsuit |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/11/us/politics/trump-twitter-users-lawsuit.html |work=The New York Times |archive-date=July 12, 2017 |access-date=February 19, 2025 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20170712061328/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/11/us/politics/trump-twitter-users-lawsuit.html |url-status=live }} The lawsuit also named as defendants White House press secretary Sean Spicer and social media director Dan Scavino.{{cite news |last1=Wong |first1=Julia Carrie |author-link=Julia Carrie Wong |date=July 11, 2017 |title=Twitter users sue Donald Trump for blocking them over critical comments |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jul/11/twitter-lawsuit-donald-trump-blocking-knight-institute |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170711223053/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/jul/11/twitter-lawsuit-donald-trump-blocking-knight-institute |archive-date=July 11, 2017 |access-date=July 11, 2017 |work=The Guardian}}{{cite news |last1=Savage |first1=Charlie |date=July 11, 2017 |title=Twitter Users Blocked by Trump File Lawsuit |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/11/us/politics/trump-twitter-users-lawsuit.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170711152617/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/11/us/politics/trump-twitter-users-lawsuit.html |archive-date=July 11, 2017 |access-date=July 11, 2017 |work=The New York Times}}

In 2018, Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald ruled that the plaintiffs "were indisputably blocked as a result of viewpoint discrimination"; that elements of @realDonaldTrump constitute a public forum; and that viewpoint discrimination in those elements that are public forums violated the First Amendment.Epps, Garrett. [https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/05/what-the-realdonaldtrump-ruling-actually-means/561146/ What the @RealDonaldTrump Ruling Actually Means] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180819095203/https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/05/what-the-realdonaldtrump-ruling-actually-means/561146/ |date=August 19, 2018 }}, The Atlantic. May 24, 2018. May 24, 2018. After this ruling, the 7 Twitter users that were a part of the lawsuit were unblocked.{{cite news |last=Kan |first=Michael |date=June 6, 2018 |title=Trump Unblocks Some Critics on Twitter, But Will Fight Ruling |url=https://au.pcmag.com/news/53545/trump-unblocks-some-critics-on-twitter-but-will-fight-ruling |work=PCMag Australia |archive-date=April 26, 2020 |access-date=February 19, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426153203/https://au.pcmag.com/news/53545/trump-unblocks-some-critics-on-twitter-but-will-fight-ruling |url-status=live }} In August, the Knight First Amendment Institute sent a letter to the US Justice Department requesting that the president comply with the judge's ruling and unblock a list of 41 additional Twitter users, including Danny Zuker, MoveOn activist Jordan Uhl, health care activist Laura Packard, and journalists like Alex Kotch and Jules Suzdaltsev.{{cite news |last=Binder |first=Matt |date=August 29, 2018 |title=President Trump forced to unblock dozens of Twitter users after court ruling |url=https://mashable.com/article/trump-unblocks-twitter-accounts/ |work=Mashable}} Those users were then unblocked by @realDonaldTrump.{{cite news |last=Shepardson |first=David |date=August 28, 2018 |title=Trump unblocks more Twitter users after U.S. court ruling |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-twitter/trump-unblocks-more-twitter-users-after-u-s-court-ruling-idUSKCN1LE08Q |work=Reuters |archive-date=May 25, 2023 |access-date=February 19, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230525234102/https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-twitter/trump-unblocks-more-twitter-users-after-u-s-court-ruling-idUSKCN1LE08Q |url-status=live }}

In 2019, the Second Circuit upheld Buchwald's ruling, stating that because Trump has conducted official government business over Twitter, he cannot block Americans from the account based on viewpoint.{{cite news |last=Savage |first=Charlie |date=July 9, 2019 |title=Trump Can't Block Critics From His Twitter Account, Appeals Court Rules |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/09/us/politics/trump-twitter-first-amendment.html |access-date=July 9, 2019 |work=The New York Times}}

In July 2020, The Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University sued Donald Trump again, on behalf of users that were blocked before Trump's inauguration, or who were not able to identify which tweet prompted Trump to block them.{{cite news |last=Choi |first=Matthew |date=July 31, 2020 |title=Trump sued again for blocking people on Twitter |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/07/31/trump-sued-for-blocking-people-on-twitter-389588 |work=Politico}}

Trump petitioned the Supreme Court in August 2020 to hear his appeal of the Second Circuit's decision to uphold Judge Buchwald's opinion. Trump's petition requested the Supreme Court to answer the question "Whether the First Amendment deprives a government official of his right to control his personal Twitter account by blocking third-party accounts if he uses that personal account in part to announce official actions and policies."{{cite web |last=Velazco |first=Chris |date=August 20, 2020 |title=White House calls on Supreme Court to rule on Trump's Twitter blocking |url=https://www.engadget.com/president-trump-white-house-supreme-court-appeal-twitter-blocking-172537843.html |access-date=August 20, 2020 |work=Engadget}} Post-election, this case is still pending before the Supreme Court.{{cite news |last=Wolf |first=Richard |date=November 8, 2020 |title=President Trump's defeat may give Supreme Court a rest from personal, policy lawsuits |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/11/18/donald-trumps-defeat-may-give-supreme-court-rest-his-suits/6309525002/ |work=USA Today}}

Trump's statements in tweets have been cited in court challenges against his actions as president; his Twitter posts on Muslims have been significant in legal challenges to Executive Order 13769 (which Trump has called a "travel ban"), as courts have considered Trump's statements in their assessments of the motivations and purpose of the order. In 2017, Trump's tweets were cited by both the US Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit and the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which upheld rulings blocking Trump's executive order as unconstitutional. In its opinion, the Fourth Circuit cited the "backdrop of public statements by the President and his advisers and representatives" as evidence that the order "drips with religious intolerance, animus, and discrimination"; the Ninth Circuit wrote that "throughout these judicial proceedings, the president has continued to make generalized, often inflammatory, statements about the Muslim faith and its adherents," including through Tweets.Joseph P. Williams, [https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2017-06-12/donald-trumps-statements-on-twitter-cited-in-courts-decision-to-upholds-block-on-travel-ban Courts Considered Trump's Twitter in Ruling] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170911184854/https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2017-06-12/donald-trumps-statements-on-twitter-cited-in-courts-decision-to-upholds-block-on-travel-ban|date=September 11, 2017}}, U.S. News & World Report (June 12, 2017). Peter J. Spiro, a legal scholar at Temple University, noted that Trump's November 2017 tweets of anti-Muslim videos would almost certainly be cited by challengers to Trump's third version of a travel ban as evidence that the orders were unconstitutionally motivated by anti-Muslim animus.Erik Larson, [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-11-29/trump-is-worst-client-in-travel-ban-suit-with-tweets-in-play Trump Risks Undermining Travel-Ban Defense With Anti-Muslim Videos] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171130003507/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-11-29/trump-is-worst-client-in-travel-ban-suit-with-tweets-in-play|date=November 30, 2017}}, Bloomberg (November 29, 2017).

Trump's tweets were also cited by the US District Court for the District of Columbia in its ruling in Jane Doe v. Trump issuing a preliminary injunction blocking Trump's ban on service by transgender people in the military from going into effect. The court determined that Trump's sudden policy announcement on Twitter comment undermined his claim that the ban was motivated by genuine concern for military efficiency.Ephrat Livni, [https://qz.com/1115711/a-judge-called-out-trumps-tweets-in-an-order-blocking-his-transgender-soldier-ban/ A judge called out Trump's tweets in an order blocking his transgender soldier ban] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171113055742/https://qz.com/1115711/a-judge-called-out-trumps-tweets-in-an-order-blocking-his-transgender-soldier-ban/|date=November 13, 2017}}, QZ (October 31).[https://ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show_public_doc?2017cv1597-61 Doe v. Trump] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171030211648/https://ecf.dcd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/show_public_doc?2017cv1597-61|date=October 30, 2017}} (D.D.C. October 30, 2017).Garrett Epps, [https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/11/pricking-of-his-thumbs/544547/ Trump's Tweets Take Down His Military Ban on Trans People] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171126232956/https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2017/11/pricking-of-his-thumbs/544547/|date=November 26, 2017}}, The Atlantic (November 1, 2017). The court wrote:

[Trump] abruptly announced, via Twitter – without any of the formality or deliberative processes that generally accompany the development and announcement of major policy changes that will gravely affect the lives of many Americans – that all transgender individuals would be precluded from participating in the military in any capacity. These circumstances provide additional support for Plaintiffs' claim that the decision to exclude transgender individuals was not driven by genuine concerns regarding military efficacy.

{{tweet

| text = Don't buy GOODYEAR TIRES – They announced a BAN ON MAGA HATS. Get better tires for far less! (This is what the Radical Left Democrats do. Two can play the same game, and we have to start playing it now!).

| name = Donald J. Trump 15px

| image = Donald Trump official portrait (cropped).jpg

| username = realDonaldTrump

| date = August 19, 2020

| ID = 1296092859226042368

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201117220127/https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1296092859226042368

| archive-date = November 17, 2020

| url-status = dead

| ref-name = TweetrealDonaldTrump_5

}}

On December 22, 2016, Trump posted: "Based on the tremendous cost and cost overruns of the Lockheed Martin F-35, I have asked Boeing to price-out a comparable F-18 Super Hornet!"{{Cite tweet |number=812061677160202240 |user=realDonaldTrump |title=Based on the tremendous cost and cost overruns of the Lockheed Martin F-35, I have asked Boeing to price-out a comparable F-18 Super Hornet! |first=Donald J. |last=Trump |date=December 22, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201204133638/https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/812061677160202240 |archive-date=December 4, 2020 |url-status=dead}} After this post, the stocks of Lockheed Martin dropped significantly and the stock price of Boeing increased slightly.{{Citation needed|date=September 2019}} Another example is the on August 17, 2017, post on Amazon: "Amazon is doing great damage to tax paying retailers. Towns, cities and states throughout the U.S. are being hurt – many jobs being lost!"{{Cite tweet |number=897763049226084352 |user=realDonaldTrump |title=Amazon is doing great damage to tax paying retailers. Towns, cities and states throughout the U.S. are being hurt – many jobs being lost! |first=Donald J. |last=Trump |date=August 16, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201203051501/https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/897763049226084352 |archive-date=December 3, 2020 |url-status=dead}} Afterwards, the market capitalization of Amazon declined by $6 billion.{{cite news |last=Chapman |first=Ben |date=August 16, 2017 |title=Donald Trump just wiped $5.7bn off the value of Amazon with a single tweet |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/donald-trump-amazon-value-5-billion-drop-off-shares-tweet-social-media-jeff-bezos-a7896266.html |work=The Independent}} However, there are also contrary examples: The New York Times stock remained stable or even rose when Trump posted about 'failing The New York Times.'{{Cite tweet |number=764529295901528064 |user=realDonaldTrump |title=The failing @nytimes has become a newspaper of fiction. Their stories about me always quote non-existent unnamed sources. Very dishonest! |first=Donald J. |last=Trump |date=August 13, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201106084920/https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/764529295901528064 |archive-date=November 6, 2020 |url-status=dead}}

On August 19, 2020, Trump called for a boycott for Goodyear Tires on Twitter after an image of a Goodyear employee training leaked displaying a slide showing that "Black Lives Matter" and LGBT gear are allowed to be worn, however, "Blue Lives Matter" and "MAGA" gear are not allowed to be worn. Goodyear stock fell six percent shortly after the tweet. In addition, stocks from several of Goodyear's rivals, such as Bridgestone, gained value.{{Cite news |last=Kilgore |first=Tomi |title=Goodyear's stock fall after Trump tweet urging boycott of company's tires, while rivals' shares gain |url=https://www.marketwatch.com/story/goodyears-stock-fall-after-trump-tweet-urging-boycott-of-companys-tires-while-rivals-shares-gain-2020-08-19 |publisher=MarketWatch}} Goodyear later released a statement stating that the Goodyear corporation did not create the slide and asked all employees to remain apolitical.{{Cite news |last=GmbH |first=finanzen net |title=Goodyear tumbles 6% after Trump tweets to boycott the company over MAGA hat ban (GT) | Markets Insider |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/goodyear-stock-price-president-trump-tweets-boycott-maga-ban-tire-2020-8 |website=markets.businessinsider.com}}

{{Further|CREW and National Security Archive v. Trump and EOP}}

While the National Archives and Records Administration has recommended archiving all social media postings to comply with the Presidential Records Act, the Trump administration has deleted multiple public posts.{{cite news |last=Estepa |first=Jessia |date=September 27, 2017 |title=President Trump deletes his recent tweets about Sen. Luther Strange. Can he do that? |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2017/09/27/president-trump-deletes-his-recent-tweets-sen-luther-strange-can-he-do-that/707706001/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170927190419/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2017/09/27/president-trump-deletes-his-recent-tweets-sen-luther-strange-can-he-do-that/707706001/ |archive-date=September 27, 2017 |access-date=September 27, 2017 |work=USA Today}} In June 2017, the watchdog group CREW and the National Security Archive filed suit against Trump, contending that deletion of tweets is the destruction of presidential records in violation of the Presidential Records Act of 1981.{{cite news |last=Goldman |first=Russell |date=September 27, 2017 |title=Trump Deletes Tweets Supporting Luther Strange |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/27/us/politics/trump-deletes-tweets.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170927105704/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/27/us/politics/trump-deletes-tweets.html |archive-date=September 27, 2017 |access-date=September 27, 2017 |work=The New York Times |quote=At least two government watchdog groups, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington and the National Security Archive, believe that when Mr. Trump deletes a tweet he may be breaking the law.}}

Following Alabama senator Luther Strange's loss to Justice Roy Moore in the September 2017 primary for the Senate special election, Trump deleted at least two tweets previously posted in support of Strange.{{cite news |last=Jackson |first=Henry C. |date=September 26, 2017 |title=After Luther Strange loses in Alabama, Trump's supportive tweets disappear |url=http://www.politico.com/story/2017/09/26/after-strange-loss-trump-deletes-tweets-backing-alabama-senator-243187 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170927040908/http://www.politico.com/story/2017/09/26/after-strange-loss-trump-deletes-tweets-backing-alabama-senator-243187 |archive-date=September 27, 2017 |access-date=September 27, 2017 |work=Politico |quote=But Trump then appears to have deleted at least two tweets, sent earlier in the day, that offered strong endorsements of Strange, whom Trump campaigned for Friday in a boisterous rally in Huntsville, Alabama.}} In November 2017, following criticism{{Cite news |date=November 30, 2017 |title=Trump criticized in Britain and U.S. for sharing anti-Muslim videos |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-twitter/trump-retweets-anti-muslim-videos-from-far-right-british-party-idUSKBN1DT1TI |access-date=November 30, 2017 |work=Reuters}} from the office of the British Prime Minister regarding Trump's retweeting of several videos from far-right British nationalist group Britain First (see {{section link||Britain First videos}}), Trump tweeted at Twitter user @theresamay, while presumably intending to target @theresa_may; Trump later deleted the original tweet,{{cite tweet |number=936036634331680768 |user=GerardBrady100 |title=The best part about this is that a random woman called Theresa May Scrivener, with 6 followers. just received a diplomatic correspondence by tweet from the US President #Trump #TrumpTweets #specialrelationship https://t.co/tSpD1Io14t |first=Gerard |last=Brady |author-link=Gerard Brady |date=November 30, 2017 |access-date=December 2, 2022 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221120193542/https://twitter.com/GerardBrady100/status/936036634331680768 |archive-date=November 20, 2022 |url-status=live}} and sent a new tweet{{Cite tweet |number=936037588372283392 |user=realDonaldTrump |title=.@Theresa_May, don't focus on me, focus on the destructive Radical Islamic Terrorism that is taking place within the United Kingdom. We are doing just fine! |first=Donald J. |last=Trump |date=November 30, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201106082646/https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/936037588372283392 |archive-date=November 6, 2020 |url-status=dead}} targeting @theresa_may with the same content.{{Cite news |last=Hassan |first=Jennifer |date=November 30, 2017 |title=Donald Trump blasted Theresa May on Twitter. Unfortunately, he got the wrong woman. |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2017/11/30/donald-trump-blasted-theresa-may-on-twitter-unfortunately-he-got-the-wrong-woman/ |access-date=November 30, 2017 |newspaper=The Washington Post |issn=0190-8286}}

Under its "civic integrity" policy created in 2018 and expanded in May 2020,{{cite web |title=Civic integrity policy |url=https://help.twitter.com/en/rules-and-policies/election-integrity-policy |access-date=May 29, 2020 |website=help.twitter.com}}{{cite web |title=Elections integrity |url=https://about.twitter.com/en_us/advocacy/elections-integrity.html |access-date=May 29, 2020 |website=about.twitter.com}} Twitter scrutinizes statements that may affect participation in democracy. Twitter has invited certain nonprofits to flag problematic tweets in this subject area.{{cite web |last=Oremus |first=Will |date=May 28, 2020 |title=Inside Twitter's Decision to Fact-Check Trump's Tweets |url=https://onezero.medium.com/inside-twitters-decision-to-fact-check-a-trump-tweet-b5a30eaa3b1d |access-date=May 29, 2020 |website=Medium}} Twitter also announced on May 11 that it would begin to flag "misleading information."{{cite web |title=Updating our Approach to Misleading Information |url=https://blog.twitter.com/en_us/topics/product/2020/updating-our-approach-to-misleading-information.html |access-date=May 29, 2020 |website=blog.twitter.com}} In November 2020, Twitter clarified that, while it may choose to merely flag the offensive tweets of "current world leaders and candidates for office," when those people leave office and become "private citizens" again, they will be treated like everyone else and their accounts can be suspended.{{Cite news |last=Blum |first=Jeremy |date=November 6, 2020 |title=Trump's Tweets Will Stop Getting Special Treatment If He Loses |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/twitter-trump-no-more-special-treatment_n_5fa58d09c5b64c88d4003504 |access-date=November 6, 2020 |work=HuffPost}}

Twitter placed a fact-check advisory on Trump's tweets for the first time on May 26, 2020.{{cite news |last1=Conger |first1=Kate |last2=Alba |first2=Davey |author-link2=Davey Alba |date=May 26, 2020 |title=Twitter Refutes Inaccuracies in Trump's Tweets About Mail-In Voting |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/26/technology/twitter-trump-mail-in-ballots.html |access-date=July 7, 2020 |work=The New York Times}}{{Cite news |last=Fung |first=Brian |date=May 26, 2020 |title=Twitter labeled Trump tweets with a fact check for the first time |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/26/tech/twitter-trump-fact-check/index.html |access-date=May 26, 2020 |publisher=CNN}} That morning, in two tweets, Trump alleged that mail-in ballots would be "substantially fraudulent," resulting in a "Rigged Election."{{cite tweet |number=1265255835124539392 |user=realDonaldTrump |title=There is NO WAY (ZERO!) that Mail-In Ballots will be anything less than substantially fraudulent. Mail boxes will be robbed, ballots will be forged & even illegally printed out & fraudulently signed. The Governor of California is sending Ballots to millions of people, anyone..... |first=Donald |last=Trump |author-link=Donald Trump |date=May 26, 2020 |access-date=December 2, 2022 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221122044113/https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1265255835124539392 |archive-date=November 22, 2022 |url-status=live}}{{cite tweet |number=1265255845358645254 |user=realDonaldTrump |title=....living in the state, no matter who they are or how they got there, will get one. That will be followed up with professionals telling all of these people, many of whom have never even thought of voting before, how, and for whom, to vote. This will be a Rigged Election. No way! |first=Donald |last=Trump |author-link=Donald Trump |date=May 26, 2020 |access-date=December 2, 2022 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220401095403/https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1265255845358645254 |archive-date=April 1, 2022 |url-status=live}} Hours later, Twitter placed an exclamation-point icon on each of these tweets with the text "Get the facts about mail-in ballots," linking to a page that said that Trump's allegations of fraud were "unsubstantiated".{{cite web |date=May 26, 2020 |title=Trump makes unsubstantiated claim that mail-in ballots will lead to voter fraud |url=https://twitter.com/i/events/1265330601034256384 |access-date=May 26, 2020 |publisher=Twitter}} This type of fact-checking moderation had been introduced earlier in response to misinformation spread during the COVID-19 pandemic to help Twitter users get correct information, and was the first time Twitter staff opted to use it on Trump's tweets.{{cite news |last1=Lybrand |first1=Holmes |last2=Subramaniam |first2=Tara |date=May 27, 2020 |title=Fact-checking Trump's recent claims that mail-in voting is rife with fraud |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/27/app-politics-section/donald-trump-mail-in-voter-fraud-fact-check/index.html |access-date=May 28, 2020 |publisher=CNN}}

In response, on May 28, Trump signed an executive order challenging the liability protections currently given to social media platforms.{{cite web |date=May 28, 2020 |title=Executive Order on Preventing Online Censorship |url=https://trumpwhitehouse.archives.gov/presidential-actions/executive-order-preventing-online-censorship/ |access-date=May 30, 2020 |work=whitehouse.gov |via=National Archives}} Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, sometimes referred to as "the 26 words that created the internet", treats social media companies as "platforms" rather than "publishers" and thereby reduces their responsibility for what their users say.{{Cite news |last=Miller |first=Zeke |date=May 28, 2020 |title=Trump escalates war on Twitter, social media protections |url=https://finance.yahoo.com/news/twitter-fact-checks-trump-threatens-041321349.html |access-date=May 28, 2020 |work=Yahoo! Finance}}{{Cite news |last=Fung |first=Brian, Ryan Nobles and Kevin Liptak |date=May 28, 2020 |title=Trump signs executive order targeting social media companies |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/28/politics/trump-twitter-social-media-executive-order/index.html |access-date=May 28, 2020 |publisher=CNN}} Trump sought to increase the legal responsibility of social media companies for what their users say, thereby exposing them to lawsuits. Experts challenged the legality of many sections of the executive order as running afoul of the First Amendment, as well as making demands of independent agencies of the United States government that are statutorily outside presidential control.{{cite news |last=Fung |first=Brian |date=May 28, 2020 |title=The legal limits of Trump's executive order on social media |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/28/politics/trump-social-media-order-legal-limits/index.html |access-date=May 28, 2020 |work=CNN}}

{{Tweet

| replyto = realDonaldTrump

| name = Donald J. Trump 15px

| image = Donald Trump official portrait (cropped).jpg

| username = realDonaldTrump

| date = May 29, 2020

| text = ....These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won't let that happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!

| ID = 1266231100780744704

| reference =

}}

Protests broke out in Minneapolis and throughout the United States after the May 25 murder of George Floyd, an African-American man, by Derek Chauvin, a white Minneapolis police officer. Trump, in both Twitter and Facebook posts in the late evening on May 28, said he had talked to Minnesota governor Tim Walz about bringing the National Guard to help secure the city. He said the government was prepared to "assume control." "When the looting starts, the shooting starts," Trump warned, using a phrase made infamous by Miami Police Chief Walter E. Headley in 1967 that was believed to have inflamed violence in that city.{{cite tweet |number=1266231100780744704 |user=realDonaldTrump |title=....These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won't let that happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you! |first=Donald |last=Trump |author-link=Donald Trump |date=May 29, 2020 |access-date=December 2, 2022 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221120173826/https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1266231100780744704 |archive-date=November 20, 2022 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |last1=Torres |first1=Ella |last2=Mansell |first2=William |date=May 29, 2020 |title=Minnesota protest updates: Trump warns military could 'assume control' of protest response |url=https://abcnews.go.com/US/dangerous-protests-erupt-overnight-george-floyds-death-minneapolis/story?id=70924047 |work=ABC News}}{{cite news |last1=Madani |first1=Doha |date=May 29, 2020 |title=Trump warns 'when looting starts, shooting starts' as fires burn in Minneapolis |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump/trump-s-warning-minneapolis-burns-over-george-floyd-s-death-n1217571 |work=NBC News}} Twitter decided to mark the tweet with a "public interest notice" deeming it as "glorifying violence"; they acknowledged they could have removed the tweet entirely but maintained that "it is important that the public still be able to see the Tweet given its relevance to ongoing matters of public importance."{{cite news |last=Spangler |first=Todd |date=May 29, 2020 |title=Twitter Adds Warning Label to Donald Trump's Tweet About 'Shooting' Protesters in Minneapolis, Saying It Glorifies Violence |url=https://variety.com/2020/digital/news/twitter-donald-trumps-warning-label-minneapolis-glorifies-violence-1234619685/ |access-date=May 29, 2020 |work=Variety}}{{cite news |last=Chalfant |first=Morgan |date=May 29, 2020 |title=Trump accuses Twitter of unfair targeting after company labels tweet 'glorifying violence' |url=https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/500078-trump-accuses-twitter-of-unfair-targeting-after-company-labels-tweet/ |access-date=May 29, 2020 |work=The Hill}} Facebook opted to take no action about the equivalent post made on its platform; CEO Mark Zuckerberg said that this message and similar ones did not violate Facebook's acceptable use policies. Journalists{{cite news |last1=Issac |first1=Mike |last2=King |first2=Cecila |date=May 29, 2020 |title=While Twitter Confronts Trump, Zuckerberg Keeps Facebook Out of It |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/29/technology/twitter-facebook-zuckerberg-trump.html |access-date=June 1, 2020 |work=The New York Times}} and civil rights leaders{{Cite news |last=Feiner |first=Lauren |date=June 2, 2020 |title=Civil rights leaders say they're 'disappointed and stunned' after call with Facebook's Zuckerberg and Sandberg |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2020/06/02/civil-rights-leaders-stunned-after-call-with-zuckerberg.html |access-date=June 2, 2020 |publisher=CNBC}} criticized the company's standards, and Facebook employees staged a virtual walkout on June 1 to demand that management deal with Trump's posts.{{cite news |last1=Frenkel |first1=Sheera |last2=Isaac |first2=Mike |date=June 1, 2020 |title=Facebook Employees Stage Virtual Walkout to Protest Trump Posts |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/06/01/technology/facebook-employee-protest-trump.html |access-date=June 1, 2020 |work=The New York Times}}

Several days later the White House Twitter account posted a series of videos falsely accusing antifa groups of placing bricks on sidewalks in order to instigate violence during the protests, including one which falsely suggested a barrier situated outside a synagogue in Sherman Oaks, California, to prevent anti-Semitic attacks had been placed on the street by terrorists.{{cite news |last=Mackey |first=Robert |date=June 4, 2020 |title=White House Forced to Retract Claim Viral Videos Prove Antifa Is Plotting Violence |url=https://theintercept.com/2020/06/04/white-house-forced-retract-claim-viral-videos-prove-antifa-plotting-violence/ |access-date=June 4, 2020 |work=The Intercept}}{{cite news |last=Dale |first=Daniel |date=June 4, 2020 |title=White House deletes tweet that falsely identified synagogue anti-terrorism barrier as tool of terrorists |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/03/politics/fact-check-white-house-rocks-bricks-antifa-synagogue-chabad/index.html |access-date=June 4, 2020 |publisher=CNN}}{{cite news |date=June 3, 2020 |title=White House and NYPD falsely claim 'looters' and 'antifa' are piling bricks at protest sites |url=https://theweek.com/speedreads/918068/white-house-nypd-falsely-claim-looters-antifa-are-piling-bricks-protest-sites |access-date=June 4, 2020 |work=The Week}}{{cite news |last1=Kelly |first1=Meg |last2=Samuels |first2=Elyse |date=June 4, 2020 |title=White House targets protesters with misleading video |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/06/03/white-house-targets-protesters-with-misleading-video/ |access-date=June 4, 2020 |newspaper=The Washington Post}} Trump also used Twitter to share a letter by his former legal advisor John M. Dowd, which described peaceful protesters in Washington, DC, as "terrorists".{{cite news |date=June 5, 2020 |title=Trump shares letter that calls peaceful protesters 'terrorists' |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/04/politics/trump-letter-protesters/index.html |access-date=June 5, 2020 |publisher=CNN}}{{cite news |last=Hart |first=Benjamin |date=June 4, 2020 |title=Trump Tweets Letter From Ex-Lawyer That Calls Protesters 'Terrorists' |url=https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/06/trump-tweets-john-dowd-letter-claiming-protesters-not-real.html |access-date=June 5, 2020 |work=New York}}{{cite news |last=Choi |first=Matthew |date=June 4, 2020 |title=Trump tweets a letter calling protesters 'terrorists' |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2020/06/04/trump-lawyer-protesters-terrorist-letter-302552 |access-date=June 5, 2020 |work=Politico}}

A tweet posted by Trump's reelection campaign on June 5, 2020 (as well as posted to other social media sites), in the wake of the Floyd protests had included a video with several segments of Trump speaking about Floyd's murder, along with several other images. Twitter was forced to remove the video after it had received a Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) takedown request for one of the images used in the video though it was unclear to journalists which image this was. Trump called out the action as "illegal" in a following tweet but Jack Dorsey of Twitter reiterated that they had to follow the DMCA in removing the video.{{cite news |last=Spangler |first=Todd |date=June 6, 2020 |title=Twitter Pulls Down Trump Campaign Video About George Floyd's Death Over Copyright-Infringement Claim |url=https://variety.com/2020/digital/news/twitter-trump-copyright-infringement-george-floyd-video-1234625976/ |access-date=June 6, 2020 |work=Variety}}

On June 18, 2020, Trump tweeted a satirical video with the CNN logo and the chyron caption "Terrified todler {{sic}} runs from racist baby; racist baby probably a Trump voter." The implication was that news organizations unfairly malign white people and conservatives. CNN had never run that caption. Twitter applied a fact-check advisory with the words "manipulated media."{{cite tweet |number=1273770669214490626 |user=realDonaldTrump |title=https://t.co/vnRpk0zl5y |first=Donald |last=Trump |author-link=Donald Trump |date=June 19, 2020 |access-date=December 2, 2022 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221128062704/https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1273770669214490626 |archive-date=November 28, 2022 |url-status=live}}

On June 23, 2020, Trump tweeted that protesters "will be met with serious force." Twitter applied a warning that the comment "violated the Twitter Rules about abusive behavior."{{cite tweet |number=1275409656488382465 |user=realDonaldTrump |title=There will never be an "Autonomous Zone" in Washington, D.C., as long as I'm your President. If they try they will be met with serious force! |first=Donald |last=Trump |author-link=Donald Trump |date=June 23, 2020 |access-date=December 2, 2022 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221012234018/https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/1275409656488382465 |archive-date=October 12, 2022 |url-status=live}}

On August 23, 2020, Trump tweeted that "Mail Drop Boxes...are not Covid sanitized." He claimed that the Democratic Party was "using" mailboxes despite alleged "voter security" and "fraud" problems with postal voting; he claimed that voting by mail enables "a person to vote multiple times," and he questioned "who controls" mailboxes. Twitter applied a warning that the comment violated "our Civic Integrity Policy for making misleading health claims that could potentially dissuade people from participation in voting."{{Cite news |last=Donie O'Sullivan, Naomi Thomas and Ali Zaslav |date=August 23, 2020 |title=Twitter hits Trump for 'misleading health claims' that could dissuade people from voting |url=https://www.cnn.com/2020/08/23/politics/trump-twitter-health-voting-claims-flagged/index.html |access-date=August 23, 2020 |publisher=CNN}}

Twitter applied a warning to over a third of Trump's tweets made between election night 2020 (November 3) and his rival Joe Biden's victory speech (November 7), stating: "some or all of the content shared in this Tweet is disputed and might be misleading about an election or other civic process." Twitter then said it would no longer use this election-specific flag given that the election had already been decided.{{Cite news |last=O'Sullivan |first=Donie, Kaya Yurieff, Kelly Bourdet |date=November 2, 2020 |title=Twitter will stop hiding and restricting false election tweets, including those from Trump |url=https://edition.cnn.com/business/live-news/election-2020-misinformation/h_dbc979d8d2e88cbe46270435bec52fb1 |access-date=November 8, 2020 |publisher=CNN}}

{{see also|Twitter suspensions}}

Trump's personal Twitter account was deactivated for eleven minutes on November 2, 2017. The official @POTUS account remained online during the period that the personal account was taken offline. In a tweet the next day, Trump referred to Bahtiyar Duysak, who deactivated the account on his last day of work at Twitter before returning to his home country of Germany, as a "rogue employee."{{cite news |last=Busvine |first=Douglas |date=December 11, 2017 |title=Ex-contractor says he shut Trump's Twitter account by accident |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-twitter-trump-idUSKBN1E51WH |access-date=January 6, 2021 |work=Reuters}}{{cite tweet |number=926401530013642765 |user=realDonaldTrump |title=My Twitter account was taken down for 11 minutes by a rogue employee. I guess the word must finally be getting out-and having an impact. |first=Donald |last=Trump |author-link=Donald Trump |date=November 3, 2017 |access-date=December 2, 2022 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220821183707/https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/926401530013642765 |archive-date=August 21, 2022 |url-status=live}}Multiple sources:

• {{cite news |last1=Siegel |first1=Rachel |last2=Tsukayama |first2=Hayley |author3=J. Freedom du Lac |date=November 3, 2017 |title=Rogue Twitter employee on last day of job deactivated Trump's personal account, company says |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/11/02/trumps-twitter-account-was-temporarily-deactivated-due-to-human-error/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171104231948/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2017/11/02/trumps-twitter-account-was-temporarily-deactivated-due-to-human-error/ |archive-date=November 4, 2017 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}
• {{cite news |last=Caplan |first=David |date=November 2, 2017 |title=Trump's Twitter account briefly deactivated by Twitter employee on last day, company says |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trumps-twitter-account-briefly-critics-seize-chance-ridicule/story?id=50897711 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171103004337/http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/trumps-twitter-account-briefly-critics-seize-chance-ridicule/story?id=50897711 |archive-date=November 3, 2017 |access-date=November 3, 2017 |work=ABC News}}
• {{cite news |last=Wang |first=Selina |date=November 2, 2017 |title=Twitter Employee Deactivated Trump's Account on Last Day at Work |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-11-02/president-donald-trump-s-twitter-account-temporarily-unavailable |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171104002218/https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-11-02/president-donald-trump-s-twitter-account-temporarily-unavailable |archive-date=November 4, 2017 |access-date=November 3, 2017 |agency=Bloomberg}}
• {{cite news |last=Wong |first=Julia Carrie |date=November 30, 2017 |title=Ex-Twitter worker who 'admires' Trump says he was behind account deactivation |url=https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2017/nov/30/trump-twitter-account-deactivated-bahtiyar-duysak |work=The Guardian}}
• {{cite news |date=November 29, 2017 |title=Ex-Twitter Worker Claims Responsibility for Trump's Account Shutdown |url=https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2017/11/29/technology/29reuters-twitter-trump.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171204012420/https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2017/11/29/technology/29reuters-twitter-trump.html |archive-date=December 4, 2017 |access-date=December 29, 2018 |work=The New York Times |agency=Reuters}}
• {{cite web |last=Lunden |first=Ingrid |date=November 29, 2017 |title=Meet the man who deactivated Trump's Twitter account |url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/11/29/meet-the-man-who-deactivated-trumps-twitter-account/ |access-date=December 4, 2017 |website=techcrunch.com}}
• {{cite news |last1=Seetharaman |first1=Deepa |last2=Koh |first2=Yoree |last3=Wells |first3=Georgia |date=December 1, 2017 |title=Silicon Valley Struggles to Add Conservatives to Its Ranks |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/silicon-valley-struggles-to-add-conservatives-to-its-ranks-1512136801 |access-date=December 4, 2017 |work=The Wall Street Journal}}
• {{cite news |date=November 30, 2017 |title=Trump Twitter "Saboteur," Bahtiyar Duysak, Goes from Hero to Zero |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-twitter-saboteur-bahtiyar-duysak-goes-from_us_5a206cd7e4b04dacbc9bd52c |access-date=December 4, 2017 |work=HuffPost}}
• {{cite web |last=Terdiman |first=Daniel |date=November 29, 2017 |title=Bahtiyar Duysak, who deleted Trump's Twitter: I didn't break any rules |url=https://www.fastcompany.com/40502159/bahtiyar-duysak-who-deleted-trumps-twitter-i-didnt-break-any-rules |access-date=December 4, 2017 |website=Fast Company}}
• {{cite news |last=Segall |first=Laurie |title=The guy who took down Trump's Twitter account says it was 'a mistake' |url=https://money.cnn.com/2017/11/30/technology/person-who-shut-down-trump-twitter/index.html |access-date=December 4, 2017 |publisher=CNN}}
• {{cite web |date=November 30, 2017 |title=Bahtiyar Duysak, l'uomo che ha spento l'account Twitter di Trump: "Solo un errore" |trans-title=Bahtiyar Duysak, the man who turned off Trump's Twitter account:" Just a mistake " |url=http://www.repubblica.it/tecnologia/social-network/2017/11/30/news/l_uomo_che_ha_cancellato_account_twitter_di_trump-182613227/ |access-date=December 4, 2017 |website=Repubblica.it |language=it}}
• {{cite news |title=The bird, the apple and the ghost: This week in tech |url=https://www.trtworld.com/life/the-bird-the-apple-and-the-ghost-this-week-in-tech-12777 |access-date=December 4, 2017 |publisher=TRT World}}
• {{cite news |date=November 29, 2017 |title=Ex-Twitter Worker Claims Responsibility for Trump's Account Shutdown |url=https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2017/11/29/technology/29reuters-twitter-trump.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171204012420/https://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2017/11/29/technology/29reuters-twitter-trump.html |archive-date=December 4, 2017 |access-date=December 4, 2017 |work=The New York Times |agency=Reuters}}
• {{cite web |title=Ex-Twitter-Mitarbeiter räumt Abschaltung von Trumps Twitter-Konto ein |url=http://www.finanzen.net/nachricht/aktien/ex-twitter-mitarbeiter-raeumt-abschaltung-von-trump-konto-ein-5842927 |access-date=December 4, 2017 |website=finanzen.net}} Twitter responded by adding protection to Trump's account.{{cite news |last1=Isaac |first1=Mike |last2=Frenkel |first2=Sheera |last3=Conger |first3=Kate |date=July 16, 2020 |title=Twitter Struggles to Unpack a Hack Within Its Walls |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/16/technology/twitter-hack-investigation.html |access-date=July 17, 2020 |work=The New York Times}}

{{2021 United States Capitol attack|expanded=2020 presidential election and other causes}}

On January 6, 2021, shortly after Trump uploaded a video message in which he repeated the false claims that the presidential election had been stolen, the video was removed by Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube for violating site policies on "civil integrity" and election misinformation.{{cite news |last=Lima |first=Cristiano |date=January 6, 2021 |title=YouTube, Facebook and Twitter squelch Trump's video on Capitol breach |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2021/01/06/twitter-trump-tweet-capitol-violence-455630 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210106234014/https://www.politico.com/news/2021/01/06/twitter-trump-tweet-capitol-violence-455630 |archive-date=January 6, 2021 |access-date=January 6, 2021 |work=Politico}} Facebook executive Guy Rosen said the video was removed because "it contributes to rather than diminishes the risk of ongoing violence."{{cite web |last=Kelly |first=Makena |date=January 6, 2021 |title=Facebook declares 'emergency situation' and removes Trump video |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/6/22217788/facebook-remove-trump-video-emergency-situation-mob-violence |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210106233501/https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/6/22217788/facebook-remove-trump-video-emergency-situation-mob-violence |archive-date=January 6, 2021 |access-date=January 6, 2021 |website=The Verge}} Twitter locked Trump's account for twelve hours and threatened a permanent suspension for "repeated and severe violations of our Civic Integrity policy." Twitter also required him to remove three of his tweets.{{cite tweet |number=1346970432017031178 |user=TwitterSafety |title=Future violations of the Twitter Rules, including our Civic Integrity or Violent Threats policies, will result in permanent suspension of the @realDonaldTrump account. |author=Twitter Safety |date=January 7, 2021 |access-date=December 7, 2022 |language=en |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221203132438/https://twitter.com/TwitterSafety/status/1346970432017031178 |archive-date=December 3, 2022 |url-status=live}}{{cite news |last=Manzullo |first=Brian |title=Twitter blocks Donald Trump's account for 12 hours, threatens permanent suspension |url=https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2021/01/06/donald-trump-twitter-ban/6574182002/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107002023/https://www.freep.com/story/news/politics/2021/01/06/donald-trump-twitter-ban/6574182002/ |archive-date=January 7, 2021 |access-date=January 7, 2021 |work=Detroit Free Press}} He was warned his account would be terminated if he continued to make posts they deemed as inciting violence, or spread conspiracy theories about election integrity (false claims which were said to be fuelling the violence).{{Cite news |last1=Romm |first1=Tony |last2=Dwoskin |first2=Elizabeth |last3=Harwell |first3=Drew |title=Twitter, Facebook lock Trump's accounts amid D.C. riots |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/01/06/trump-tweet-violence/ |access-date=January 7, 2021 |newspaper=The Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}} His account was unlocked, and he tweeted three more times from it. Snapchat indefinitely suspended Trump's account on the platform the same day,{{cite news |last=Lonas |first=Lexi |date=January 7, 2021 |title=Trump suspended indefinitely from Snapchat |url=https://thehill.com/policy/technology/533204-trump-suspended-indefinitely-from-snapchat/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107222533/https://thehill.com/policy/technology/533204-trump-suspended-indefinitely-from-snapchat |archive-date=January 7, 2021 |access-date=January 8, 2021 |website=The Hill}} while Shopify terminated shops that sold Trump campaign paraphernalia and merchandise from his personal TrumpStore brand.{{cite web |last=Shieber |first=Jonathan |date=January 7, 2021 |title=Shopify pulls Donald Trump stores off its platform |url=https://techcrunch.com/2021/01/07/shopify-pulls-donald-trump-stores-off-its-website/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107220536/https://techcrunch.com/2021/01/07/shopify-pulls-donald-trump-stores-off-its-website/ |archive-date=January 7, 2021 |access-date=January 8, 2021 |website=TechCrunch}}

The following day, Facebook and its platforms, including Instagram, announced they had banned Trump indefinitely, at least until the end of his presidential term. Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote, "The shocking events of the last 24 hours clearly demonstrate that President Donald Trump intends to use his remaining time in office to undermine the peaceful and lawful transition of power to his elected successor."{{cite news |last1=Isaac |first1=Mike |last2=Conger |first2=Kate |last3=Hadi |first3=Mohammed |date=January 7, 2021 |title=Facebook bans Trump indefinitely. |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/07/business/facebook-trump-ban.html |url-access=registration |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210108020722/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/07/technology/facebook-trump-ban.html |archive-date=January 8, 2021 |access-date=January 7, 2021 |work=The New York Times}} On January 7, Twitch announced it had disabled Trump's channel on the platform.{{cite web |last=Kim |first=Matt |date=January 7, 2021 |title=Twitch Disables Donald Trump's Channel Over Risk of More Violence |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/twitch-donald-trump-channel-disabled-capitol-hill |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210107211821/https://www.ign.com/articles/twitch-donald-trump-channel-disabled-capitol-hill |archive-date=January 7, 2021 |access-date=January 7, 2021 |website=IGN}} TikTok announced it would restrict videos of the Capitol attack and Trump's January{{nbsp}}6 address, other than those providing factual information, criticism or journalistic value.{{cite web |last=Lawler |first=Richard |date=January 7, 2021 |title=TikTok ban will remove videos of Donald Trump inciting rioters |url=https://www.engadget.com/tiktok-ban-trump-044348829.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210110065208/https://www.engadget.com/tiktok-ban-trump-044348829.html |archive-date=January 10, 2021 |access-date=January 10, 2021 |website=Engadget}} Pinterest began limiting hashtags related to pro-Trump topics such as #StopTheSteal since around the November election.{{cite web |last=Gold |first=Sara Fischer, Ashley |title=All the platforms that have banned or restricted Trump so far |url=https://www.axios.com/platforms-social-media-ban-restrict-trump-d9e44f3c-8366-4ba9-a8a1-7f3114f920f1.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210113193714/https://www.axios.com/platforms-social-media-ban-restrict-trump-d9e44f3c-8366-4ba9-a8a1-7f3114f920f1.html |archive-date=January 13, 2021 |access-date=January 10, 2021 |website=Axios}}

On January 12, YouTube announced that it had temporarily banned Trump's channel for seven days, restricting it from uploading any new videos or live-streams. YouTube said the decision came after the president violated the platform's policies by posting content that incited violence. All the previous content on the channel was removed. YouTube also said that the ban could be extended.{{cite news |title=YouTube suspends Trump channel from uploading new content for seven days |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/jan/13/youtube-suspends-trump-channel-from-uploading-new-content-for-seven-days |access-date=January 13, 2021 |work=The Guardian}}

A Zignal Labs analysis determined that in the week after several social media sites (Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitch, Spotify, Shopify, and others) suspended Trump's and key allies' accounts, online misinformation about election fraud plunged 73 percent, dropping from 2.5 million mentions to 688,000 mentions.{{cite news |author=Dwoskin |first1=Elizabeth |last2=Timberg |first2=Craig |date=January 16, 2021 |title=Misinformation dropped dramatically the week after Twitter banned Trump and some allies |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/01/16/misinformation-trump-twitter/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210212003640/https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/01/16/misinformation-trump-twitter/ |archive-date=February 12, 2021 |access-date=March 25, 2021 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}

Civil rights groups said that Trump's Twitter and Facebook bans were "long overdue" and that social media companies had excessively delayed in taking steps to counter political violence.Kate Conger, Mike Isaac & Sheera Frenkel, [https://www.nytimes.com/2021/01/06/technology/capitol-twitter-facebook-trump.html Twitter and Facebook Lock Trump's Accounts After Violence on Capitol Hill],The New York Times (January 6, 2021). The co-CEO of the civil rights and advocacy group Free Press said the bans were "a day late and a dollar short" but welcomed the move.Sarah Frier, [https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-01-09/twitter-s-trump-ban-deemed-necessary-derided-as-long-overdue Twitter's Trump Ban Deemed Necessary, Derided as Long Overdue], Bloomberg News (January 9, 2021). Many Democratic officials welcomed the ban. Yaël Eisenstat, a former CIA officer who previously worked on election policy at Facebook, said: "I'm not going to applaud the move now when it is politically the most obvious, easy and – let's be frank – good business decision. Inciting your followers to engage in insurrection is a high form of treason and allowing your platform to be used for that purpose makes you complicit." The ban was also criticised by many US officials supportive of Trump, with Republican senator Ted Cruz stating the ban was "absurd and profoundly dangerous", and former United States Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley likening the ban to political censorship in China.{{cite web |date=11 Jan 2021 |title=A 'bad sign': World leaders and officials blast Twitter Trump ban |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/1/11/a-bad-sign-world-leaders-and-officials-blast-twitter-trump-ban |access-date=February 24, 2021 |website=Al Jazeera}}{{cite web |last1=Leary |first1=Alex |date=January 9, 2021 |title=Trump Allies Criticize Twitter's Ban on President's Account |url=https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/trump-impeachment-democrats-biden-latest/card/7XmDAvtSs487MuOTpGUZ |access-date=February 24, 2021 |website=The Wall Street Journal}}

A survey of Americans taken after the Capitol attack and Twitter's permanent suspension of Trump's account showed that 61 percent agreed with the decision to ban Trump, while 39 percent were opposed.Jessica Guynn, [https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2021/01/12/trump-ban-twitter-facebook-capitol-attack-insurrection-harris-poll/6643122002/ Trump Twitter ban supported by most Americans but not most Republicans], USA Today (January 12, 2021). Support was sharply split by party: 80 percent of Democrats, 59 percent of independents, and 36 percent of Republicans supported the ban. Of those surveyed, 58 percent agreed with the statement "President Trump's actions this week were dangerous and removing him from Twitter was the correct thing to do", while 42 percent agreed with the statement "I am concerned that Twitter permanently suspending President Trump sets a dangerous precedent with technology companies censoring free speech and government officials."

Some foreign leaders criticized Twitter's ban of Trump.Adam Taylor, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/01/16/mexico-poland-social-media-trump/ Leaders in Mexico and Poland look to curb power of social media giants after Trump bans], The Washington Post (January 16, 2021). A spokesman for German chancellor Angela Merkel said that Twitter was correct to flag false statements in Trump's posts, but that she viewed the permanent suspension as "problematic" due to her view that restrictions on the "right to freedom of opinion" should be decided by governments rather than private companies.[https://www.dw.com/en/angela-merkel-calls-trump-twitter-ban-problematic/a-56197684 Angela Merkel calls Trump Twitter ban 'problematic'], Deutsche Welle (January 11, 2021). Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador blasted the decision to ban Trump, saying that he favored prohibiting private companies from banning government officials and had directed officials to explore the possibility of creating a Mexican state-run social network; López Obrador compared such action by websites to the "Spanish Inquisition" while Polish prime minister Mateusz Morawiecki said that Poland's conservative government planned to introduce a bill to limit how social media companies could moderate content. However, Margrethe Vestager, the executive vice president of the European Commission for a Europe Fit for the Digital Age, suggested that the bans were justifiable, saying: "This is, of course, the most extreme of extreme situations, that the president of the United States is inciting people to go toward Congress. So I completely accept that this is an extreme situation, and lines have been crossed."

According to the South China Morning Post, Chinese state media commentators and academics have also criticized Trump being banned from social media platforms, calling the bans "a cautionary tale of social media platforms wielding too much power" and have also claimed "that the ban hypocritically goes against US advocacy of free speech."{{Cite web |last1=Ye |first1=Josh |last2=Qu |first2=Tracy |last3=Lew |first3=Linda |date=January 13, 2021 |title=Trump's social media ban derided in China amid crackdown on Big Tech |url=https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3117453/chinese-media-and-scholars-react-trumps-twitter-and-facebook-ban |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20210224021026/https://www.scmp.com/tech/big-tech/article/3117453/chinese-media-and-scholars-react-trumps-twitter-and-facebook-ban |archive-date=February 24, 2021 |access-date=February 24, 2021 |website=South China Morning Post |language=en}}

In June 2017, the satirical news program The Daily Show and its network, Comedy Central, set up a temporary museum space on West 57th Street, next to Trump Tower in Manhattan, that was dedicated to Trump's tweets.{{cite web |last=Evans |first=Greg |date=June 17, 2017 |title='Daily Show' Trump Twitter Library Extends Hours "Due To Popular Demand" |url=https://deadline.com/2017/06/daily-show-trump-twitter-library-extends-hours-1202115437/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170618012507/http://deadline.com/2017/06/daily-show-trump-twitter-library-extends-hours-1202115437/ |archive-date=June 18, 2017 |work=Deadline}}{{cite news |date=June 13, 2017 |title='The Daily Show' is unveiling the Trump Twitter Library |url=https://komonews.com/news/entertainment/daily-show-unveiling-trump-twitter-library |work=KOMO News |agency=Associated Press}}

In January 2019, Trump served hamburgers to the Clemson Tigers champion football team due to the White House's catering staff being furloughed during the federal government shutdown of 2018–2019.{{cite news |last=Rupar |first=Aaron |date=January 15, 2019 |title=Trump's tweet about "hamberders" illustrates just how effortlessly he lies |url=https://www.vox.com/2019/1/15/18183480/trump-hamberders-clemson-football |work=Vox}} His misspelling on Twitter of hamburger as "hamberder" was ridiculed on the internet.{{cite web |last=Gilmer |first=Marcus |date=January 15, 2019 |title=Trump defends his choice to serve the Clemson football team '1000 hamberders' |url=https://mashable.com/article/trump-hamberder-tweet-clemson-white-house/ |website=Mashable}} It soon became a meme as well, and was parodied on Saturday Night Live with Trump (played by Alec Baldwin) competing for "hamberders" on the Deal or No Deal game show.{{cite news |last=Osborne |first=Mark |title='SNL' returns, addresses shutdown and hamberders |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/donald-trump-ends-shutdown-hamberders-snl-game-deal/story?id=60501508 |work=ABC News}}

In June 2017, Democratic US representative Mike Quigley filed legislation in the United States House of Representatives, titled the Communications Over Various Feeds Electronically for Engagement (COVFEFE) Act (H.R. 2883), to Presidential Records Act to cover social media, thus requiring tweets and other social media posts by the US president to be preserved under law and stored by the National Archives. The bill did not advance in committee and died at the end of the 115th Congress.{{cite news |last=Uchill |first=Joe |date=June 12, 2017 |title=COVFEFE Act would make social media a presidential record |url=https://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/337416-covefe-act-would-make-social-media-a-presidential-record/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170612171418/http://thehill.com/policy/cybersecurity/337416-covefe-act-would-make-social-media-a-presidential-record |archive-date=June 12, 2017 |access-date=June 12, 2017 |work=The Hill}}{{cite web |date=June 12, 2017 |title=H.R.2884 – COVFEFE Act of 2017 |url=https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/2884/actions?KWICView=false |access-date=February 7, 2020 |website=Congress.gov}}{{cite web |last=Quigley |first=Mike |date=June 12, 2017 |title=H.R. 2884 (115th): COVFEFE Act of 2017 |url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr2884/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201111195854/https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/115/hr2884 |archive-date=November 11, 2020 |access-date=January 19, 2021 |website=www.govtrack.us |publisher=GovTrack |quote=This bill was introduced on June 12, 2017. . . but it did not receive a vote.}}

Regardless of the failure of the bill, the National Archives confirmed that Trump's tweets are considered presidential records. However, as of August 20, 2024, they were not available on the webpage regarding archived social media at the National Archives website, trumplibrary.gov. The page contains the statement, "A number of Trump administration officials, including President Trump, used personal accounts when conducting government business. The National Archives will make the social media content from those designated accounts publicly available as soon as possible."{{Cite web |title=Donald J. Trump Presidential Library Archived Social Media |url=https://www.trumplibrary.gov/research/archived-social-media |access-date=2024-08-20 |website=www.trumplibrary.gov}}

Some commentators view Trump's tweets as having either the purpose or effect of distracting from issues.Richard Wolffe, [https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/mar/04/donald-trump-tweeting-designed-to-distract-russia-obama Out of control? Or is Trump's tweeting designed to distract?] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170921005653/https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/mar/04/donald-trump-tweeting-designed-to-distract-russia-obama|date=September 21, 2017}}, The Guardian (March 4, 2017). Such tweets are sometimes described as "shiny objects" intended to divert attention from other news.{{cite news |last=Blake |first=Aaron |date=May 20, 2020 |title=4 overly simplistic criticisms of the media's Trump coverage |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2020/05/20/4-overly-simplistic-criticisms-medias-trump-coverage/ |access-date=July 7, 2020 |newspaper=The Washington Post}}{{cite news |last=Feldmann |first=Linda |date=August 26, 2019 |title='A master of deflection.' Trump and the whiplash presidency. |url=https://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Politics/2019/0826/A-master-of-deflection.-Trump-and-the-whiplash-presidency |access-date=July 7, 2020 |work=The Christian Science Monitor}} Dan Mahaffee of the Center for the Study of the Presidency and Congress opined that Trump's tweets distracted from pressing national issues, writing that to dismiss Trump's tweets "as intemperate outbursts or merely stream-of-consciousness responses to current events would thus greatly underestimate their impact and reach" and opining that Trump's tweets elevated "the trivial at the expense of the consequential."Dan Mahaffee, [https://thehill.com/opinion/white-house/352666-trumps-tweets-distract-us-from-americas-pressing-challenges/ Trump's tweets distract us from America's pressing challenges], The Hill (September 27, 2017). Financial Times columnist Courtney Weaver viewed Trump's Twitter attacks against NFL players kneeling during the national anthem as "weapons of mass distraction" that diverted attention from the humanitarian crisis in Puerto Rico following Hurricane Maria, and wrote that "The more time that is spent discussing the president's latest stand-off with the NFL, the less time is spent discussing the Republicans' latest failed efforts to repeal and replace Obamacare, and other administration shortcomings."Courtney Weaver, [https://www.ft.com/content/3dc733fa-a1fb-11e7-b797-b61809486fe2 Donald Trump's tweets are weapons of mass distraction] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171001080408/https://www.ft.com/content/3dc733fa-a1fb-11e7-b797-b61809486fe2|date=October 1, 2017}}, Financial Times (September 26, 2017). Analyst Philip Bump of The Washington Post views Trump's Tweets as attempts to distract in times of unfavorable news related to the investigation by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III.Philip Bump, [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2017/10/30/trumps-latest-mueller-distraction-an-incorrect-tweet-on-a-misleading-story/ Trump's latest Mueller distraction: An incorrect tweet on a misleading story] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171122084808/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2017/10/30/trumps-latest-mueller-distraction-an-incorrect-tweet-on-a-misleading-story/|date=November 22, 2017}}, The Washington Post (October 30, 2017).

A 2020 study published in Nature Communications assessed Trump's tweets in the context of agenda-setting theory, analyzing the hypothesis that Trump uses tweets strategically to divert the attention of the media and the public from issues and topics he considers to be potentially threatening or harmful to him.Stephan Lewandowsky, Michael Jetter & Ullrich K. H. Ecker, [https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-020-19644-6 Using the president's tweets to understand political diversion in the age of social media], Nature Communications (November 10, 2020). The research found that increased media coverage of Russian interference in the 2016 election and the Mueller investigation was "immediately followed by Trump tweeting increasingly about unrelated issues" which led to "a reduction in coverage of the Mueller investigation," providing support for the diversionary hypothesis. The research found that this pattern was "absent in placebo analyses involving Brexit coverage and several other topics that do not present a political risk to the president" and that the finding was "robust to the inclusion of numerous control variables and examination of several alternative explanations, although the generality of the successful diversion must be established by further investigation."

Essayist Frank Rich of New York magazine argued in 2017 that Trump's tweets are not purely distractions, but rather (1) are frequently news in themselves; (2) indicate a heightened instability within the Trump administration; and (3) are not aimed at news consumers, but rather "are intended to rally his base" of supporters.Frank Rich, [https://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/07/trumps-tweets-are-not-a-distraction.html Trump's Tweets Are Not a Distraction: They Demonstrate a New Level of Instability] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171130033253/http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2017/07/trumps-tweets-are-not-a-distraction.html|date=November 30, 2017}}, New York (July 3, 2017).

In a February 2021 analysis, Michael Humphrey, a journalism and communications professor at Colorado State University, wrote that Trump's tweets were characterized by an emphasis on storytelling and "re-scripting" the world, and were based on five themes: "The true version of the United States is beset with invaders"; "Real Americans can see this"; "I (Trump) am uniquely qualified to stop this invasion"; "The establishment and its agents are hindering me"; and "The U.S. is in mortal danger because of this."Michael Humphrey, [https://theconversation.com/i-analyzed-all-of-trumps-tweets-to-find-out-what-he-was-really-saying-154532 I analyzed all of Trump's tweets to find out what he was really saying], The Conversation (February 8, 2021). Because these elements were flexible, "the establishment" and "the invaders" could be anyone. Trump's tweets were also marked by contradiction: for example, he depicted China variously as a partner and then a foe.

SuspendThePres, also known as Will They Suspend Me?, is a Twitter account created by Bizzare Lazar.{{Cite news |title=Twitter lets President Trump's tweets stand but suspends another account for tweeting the exact same thing |url=https://www.marketwatch.com/story/hes-not-president-trump-but-he-tweets-like-him-and-twitter-isnt-having-it-2020-06-03 |access-date=June 24, 2020 |publisher=MarketWatch}}{{Cite news |last=Blum |first=Jeremy |date=June 11, 2020 |title=Facebook Page Posting Trump's Verbatim Tweets Receives Erratic Response |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-facebook-twitter-suspendthepres_n_5ee2b685c5b62c77ac88a344 |access-date=June 24, 2020 |work=HuffPost}} The account re-posted every tweet by Donald Trump. The account was suspended and flagged multiple times. There is also a SuspendThePres account on Facebook.{{Cite news |title=Twitter Account That Copies Trump Word-for-Word Suspended for 'Abuse' |url=https://www.newsweek.com/twitter-donald-trump-post-abuse-harassment-suspendthepres-social-media-policies-1512443 |access-date=June 24, 2020 |work=Newsweek}} The Twitter account was created back in 2015, but only started posting on May 29, 2020.{{Cite news |title=Twitter user suspended for posting same tweets as Trump |url=https://www.sfgate.com/tech/article/Twitter-user-suspended-for-posting-same-tweets-as-15314752.php |access-date=June 24, 2020 |work=SFGate}} The Facebook account was created on June 4.{{Cite news |title=Facebook page that copies President Trump's posts gets flagged for violence – when the president's didn't |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/facebook-donald-trump-copy-account-flagged-inciting-violence/ |access-date=June 24, 2020 |work=CBS News}} Less than three days after the Twitter account started, it was suspended for 12 hours.{{Cite news |title=A Twitter Account That Copies Trump's Tweets Word For Word Got Suspended Within 3 Days |url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/y3zvqw/a-twitter-account-that-copies-trumps-tweets-word-for-word-got-suspended-within-3-days |access-date=June 24, 2020 |publisher=Vice}}{{Cite news |title=Twitter Locks Account That Posts Trump's Tweets Verbatim After Less Than 3 Days |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/suspendthepres-trump-twitter-glorifying-violence_n_5edab156c5b6854147679310 |access-date=June 24, 2020 |work=HuffPost}} The account was suspended a second time for another 12 hours. One of the posts on the Facebook account was censored, but later restored.{{Cite news |title=Facebook Censored an Account Copying Trump's Words for Inciting Violence |url=https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/ep4zvz/facebook-censored-an-account-copying-trumps-words-for-inciting-violence |access-date=June 24, 2020 |publisher=Vice}}{{Cite news |title=Facebook Account Copying Trump's Posts Word-for-Word Gets Flagged for Inciting Violence |url=https://www.newsweek.com/facebook-donald-trump-suspendthepres-experiement-post-tweet-flagged-inciting-violence-1510418 |access-date=June 24, 2020 |work=Newsweek}}

{{Anchor|Twitter ban}}

{{see also|Social media censorship controversy}} {{Tweet

| name = Twitter Safety 15px

| image = Logo of Twitter.svg

| username = TwitterSafety

| date = January 8, 2021

| text = After close review of recent Tweets from the @realDonaldTrump account and the context around them we have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence.

| ID = 1347684877634838528

| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210108232145/https://twitter.com/TwitterSafety/status/1347684877634838528

| archive-date = January 8, 2021

}}

File:Screenshot of suspended account realDonaldTrump on Twitter 2020-01-09.png

Trump was indefinitely banned from Twitter on January 8, 2021, at 6:21 p.m. EST.{{Cite news |last1=Tiku |first1=Nitasha |last2=Romm |first2=Tony |title=Twitter bans Trump's account, citing risk of further violence |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/01/08/twitter-trump-dorsey/ |access-date=January 8, 2021 |newspaper=The Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}{{cite web |last1=Hartmans |first1=Avery |last2=Akhtar |first2=Allana |title=Twitter suspended Trump's account permanently |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/twitter-suspended-president-donald-trumps-account-permanently-2021-1 |access-date=January 8, 2021 |website=Business Insider}} According to Twitter, Trump was suspended "due to the risk of further incitement of violence" from his tweets, writing that specific tweets by Trump that "are likely to inspire others to replicate the violent acts that took place on January 6, 2021, and that there are multiple indicators that they are being received and understood as encouragement to do so."* {{cite news |last=Arbel |first=Tali |date=January 8, 2021 |title=Twitter bans Trump, citing risk of violent incitement |url=https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-donald-trump-media-michael-flynn-social-media-f41b11060d7703e3a3136ddb5eefa055 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210111094740/https://apnews.com/article/election-2020-donald-trump-media-michael-flynn-social-media-f41b11060d7703e3a3136ddb5eefa055 |archive-date=January 11, 2021 |access-date=January 13, 2021 |work=Associated Press}}

• {{cite news |last=Bajack |first=Frank |date=January 9, 2021 |title=Squelched by Twitter, Trump seeks new online megaphone |url=https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-politics-media-social-media-coronavirus-pandemic-f5b565ca93a792640211e6438f2db842 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210112225831/https://apnews.com/article/donald-trump-politics-media-social-media-coronavirus-pandemic-f5b565ca93a792640211e6438f2db842 |archive-date=January 12, 2021 |access-date=January 13, 2021 |work=Associated Press}}
• {{cite web |date=January 8, 2021 |title=Permanent suspension of @realDonaldTrump |url=https://blog.twitter.com/en_us/topics/company/2020/suspension.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210113192023/https://blog.twitter.com/en_us/topics/company/2020/suspension.html |archive-date=January 13, 2021 |access-date=January 13, 2021 |publisher=Twitter Inc.}} The company also noted: "Plans for future armed protests have already begun proliferating on and off-Twitter, including a proposed secondary attack on the US Capitol and state capitol buildings on January 17, 2021." Twitter's decision came after his account had been locked for 12-hour intervals twice and after he had had three of his tweets removed during the 2021 United States Capitol attack.{{cite web |last=Snider |first=Mike |title=President Trump deletes tweets after Twitter, Facebook and Instagram lock down accounts for 'violations' |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2021/01/06/twitter-locks-president-trumps-account-after-his-tweets-riots/6574242002/ |access-date=January 9, 2021 |website=USA Today |language=en-US}} The suspension caused Trump to lose over 88 million followers.{{cite web |last1=Allyn |first1=Bobby |last2=Keith |first2=Tamara |date=January 8, 2021 |title=Twitter Permanently Suspends Trump, Citing 'Risk Of Further Incitement Of Violence' |url=https://www.npr.org/2021/01/08/954760928/twitter-bans-president-trump-citing-risk-of-further-incitement-of-violence |access-date=January 9, 2021 |website=NPR |language=en}} In his final tweet before the permanent ban, Trump announced that he would not attend the inauguration of Joe Biden on January 20, 2021.{{cite news |last=Fung |first=Brian |date=January 8, 2021 |title=Twitter bans President Trump permanently |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/01/08/tech/trump-twitter-ban/index.html |access-date=January 9, 2021 |work=CNN}}

Twitter said it would not ban government accounts like @POTUS or @WhiteHouse, but would "take action to limit their use"; the company said that sock puppet accounts created for Trump in an attempt to evade the ban would be permanently suspended "at first detection".{{cite web |last=Hollister |first=Sean |date=January 8, 2021 |title=Twitter is deleting Trump's attempts to circumvent ban |url=https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/8/22221683/trump-tried-to-evade-his-ban-with-potus-but-those-tweets-were-instantly-deleted |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210111181051/https://www.theverge.com/2021/1/8/22221683/trump-tried-to-evade-his-ban-with-potus-but-those-tweets-were-instantly-deleted |archive-date=January 11, 2021 |access-date=January 13, 2021 |website=The Verge}}{{Cite news |last=Wagner |first=Kurt |date=January 8, 2021 |title=Twitter Permanently Bans President Donald Trump's Account |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2021-01-08/twitter-permanently-suspends-donald-trump-from-social-network |access-date=January 9, 2021 |work=Bloomberg |language=en}} Trump attempted to circumvent the ban on January 8 by using the @POTUS account, but his posts were deleted within minutes.{{cite news |author1=Natasha Tiku |author2=Tony Romm |author3=Craig Timberg |date=January 9, 2021 |title=Twitter bans Trump's account, citing risk of further violence |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/01/08/twitter-trump-dorsey/ |access-date=January 9, 2021 |newspaper=The Washington Post}} Trump also tried to circumvent the suspension by posting a statement on his official campaign Twitter account @TeamTrump, in which he complained about Twitter's suspension and accused the social media platform, without evidence, of colluding in a conspiracy with the Democratic Party and "the Radical Left" to get him banned, while repeating the rhetoric that first got him banned from his main Twitter account.{{Cite news |date=January 8, 2021 |title=Twitter Deletes New Trump Tweets on @POTUS, Suspends Campaign Account |url=https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2021-01-08/twitter-deletes-new-trump-tweets-from-official-account-after-banning-him |access-date=January 9, 2021 |work=U.S. News & World Report}} This account was also suspended after the statement from Trump was posted. Twitter also suspended Trump campaign digital director Gary Coby's account after he forwarded his account information to Trump's deputy chief of staff, Dan Scavino, in an attempt to transfer it for Trump's use.

On January 14, then-CEO of Twitter Jack Dorsey defended banning Trump, but also said it "sets a precedent I feel is dangerous".{{cite web |last=Clayton |first=James |date=January 14, 2021 |title=Twitter boss: Trump ban is 'right' but 'dangerous' |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-55657417 |access-date=January 17, 2021 |work=BBC News}}

On January 20, 2021, shortly before noon, the @POTUS account was transferred to Biden as planned and the follower count of @POTUS was reset.{{Cite news |last=Lerman |first=Rachel |title=Biden takes over POTUS Twitter account, inheriting a blank slate from Trump |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/01/20/potus-twitter-account-biden-trump/ |access-date=January 20, 2021 |newspaper=The Washington Post |language=en-US |issn=0190-8286}}

On February 10, 2021, Twitter CFO Ned Segal said in an interview with CNN that the ban of the Twitter account is permanent, even if Trump runs for office again.{{Cite web |author=Brian Fung |date=February 10, 2021 |title=Twitter CFO says Trump's ban is permanent, even if he runs for office again |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/10/tech/twitter-trump-ban-public-office/index.html |publisher=CNN Business}}

In March 2021, the CEOs of Alphabet, Twitter, and Facebook were set to appear before a House panel to be questioned about social media platforms' involvement in the US Capitol attack and their following decision to remove or ban Trump from their platforms. The hearing related to Section 230, a controversial law that gives large technology companies power to determine what information is allowed on their platforms.{{Cite news |last=Tracy |first=Ryan |date=March 25, 2021 |title=Tech CEOs to Face Questions on Online Disinformation, Trump Ban |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/tech-ceos-to-face-questions-on-online-disinformation-trump-ban-11616664602 |access-date=March 25, 2021 |work=The Wall Street Journal |language=en-US |issn=0099-9660}}{{Cite news |last=Tracy |first=Ryan |date=March 25, 2021 |title=Section 230: What It Is, and Why Politicians Want to Change It |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/section-230-what-it-is-and-why-politicians-want-to-change-it-11616664601 |access-date=March 25, 2021 |work=The Wall Street Journal |language=en-US |issn=0099-9660}}{{Cite news |last=Zakrzewski |first=Cat |date=March 25, 2021 |title=Republicans set to quiz tech CEOs on election misinformation tweeted #StopTheSteal themselves |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2021/03/24/tech-hearing-gop-misinformation/ |newspaper=The Washington Post}}

On May 6, 2021, Twitter suspended an account named "From the desk of Donald J. Trump", also the name of a blog started by Trump the same week. Twitter ruled it a ban evasion.{{cite news |last=Kalich |first=Sydney |date=May 7, 2021 |title=Twitter suspends 'From the desk of Donald J. Trump' account |url=https://www.kxan.com/news/twitter-suspends-from-the-desk-of-donald-j-trump-account/ |work=KXAN-TV |via=Nexstar Media Wire}}

On July 7, 2021, Trump filed a class action lawsuit against Twitter and its CEO.{{Cite web |last1=Duffy |first1=Clare |last2=Fung |first2=Brian |date=July 7, 2021 |title=Trump is suing Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey. Here's why they shouldn't worry |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/07/07/tech/trump-zuckerberg-dorsey-lawsuit/index.html |access-date=July 7, 2021 |website=CNN}} On October 1, 2021, Trump requested a preliminary injunction to force Twitter to reinstate his account.{{cite news |date=October 2, 2021 |title=Donald Trump asks Florida judge to force Twitter to reinstate account |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/oct/02/donald-trump-asks-florida-judge-to-force-twitter-to-reinstate-account |access-date=October 2, 2021 |work=The Guardian |agency=Reuters}} In February 2022, a hearing was held in the case Trump v. Twitter, in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, San Francisco. Twitter requested at this hearing that the lawsuit be dismissed.{{cite news |last1=Nayak |first1=Malathi |date=February 25, 2022 |title=Donald Trump's fight to lift Twitter ban sputters in San Francisco courtroom |url=https://www.mercurynews.com/2022/02/25/trumps-fight-to-lift-twitter-ban-sputters-in-court-hearing/ |access-date=February 25, 2022 |work=The Mercury News |agency=Bloomberg News}} Federal judge James Donato dismissed the case on May 6, 2022, citing a "failure to plausibly state a claim".{{cite news |last1=Reardon |first1=Sophie |date=May 6, 2022 |title=Judge dismisses Trump's lawsuit against Twitter |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-twitter-lawsuit-dismissed/?ftag=CNM-00-10aab8d&linkId=164035888 |publisher=CBS News}} Trump appealed to the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, also in May. The case never made it to trial, Twitter settled with Trump for $10 million, on February 12, 2025.{{Cite web |last=WRAL |date=2025-02-12 |title=Elon Musk-owned X settles lawsuit with Donald Trump over January 6 suspension |url=https://www.wral.com/story/elon-musk-owned-x-settles-lawsuit-with-donald-trump-over-january-6-suspension/21857679/ |access-date=2025-02-13 |website=WRAL.com |language=en}}

{{Tweet

| name = Elon Musk 15px

| username = elonmusk

| replyto = elonmusk

| image = Elon Musk Royal Society (crop2).jpg

| date = November 20, 2022

| text = The people have spoken.

Trump will be reinstated.

Vox Populi, Vox Dei.

| ID = 1594131768298315777

}}

Elon Musk announced his planned acquisition of Twitter in April 2022, with observers speculating that Trump may have his account reinstated.{{Cite news |last=Doherty |first=Erin |date=April 25, 2022 |title=Trump says he will not return to Twitter |url=https://www.axios.com/2022/04/25/trump-twitter-elon-musk |access-date=July 16, 2024 |work=Axios}} The same day Twitter agreed to the acquisition, on April 25, Trump told Fox News he would not return to Twitter and would instead remain on his own social media platform, Truth Social. Musk told the Financial Times in a May 10 interview that he would lift Twitter's ban on Trump if his takeover was successful.{{Cite web |last=Knutson |first=Jacob |date=May 10, 2022 |title=Elon Musk says he would reverse Twitter's permanent Trump ban |url=https://www.axios.com/2022/05/10/elon-mask-twitter-permanent-trump-ban |access-date=May 10, 2022 |website=Axios}} A Truth Social federal securities filing on May 16 stated that it would have first dibs on any non-political posts by Trump for a period of six hours, after which Trump would be allowed to post the same content to other platforms like Twitter.{{Cite web |last=Golgowski |first=Nina |date=May 16, 2022 |title=Trump Plans To Restrict His Use Of Twitter To Benefit Truth Social |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-twitter-restriction-for-truth-social_n_62823effe4b0c7c10775ead0 |access-date=May 16, 2022 |website=HuffPost}}

When Musk completed his acquisition of Twitter on October 27, Trump praised the closure and it appeared Musk was still considering reinstating Trump's account.{{Cite web |last=Brodkin |first=Jon |date=October 28, 2022 |title=Report: Musk names himself Twitter CEO and intends to reverse Trump ban |url=https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2022/10/now-in-charge-of-twitter-musk-is-expected-to-reverse-bans-including-trumps/ |access-date=October 31, 2022 |website=Ars Technica}} On November 2, Musk tweeted that he would need "at least a few more weeks" to set a "clear process" for reinstating accounts.{{Cite web |last=Duffy |first=Clare |date=November 2, 2022 |title=Elon Musk hints that Donald Trump will not be back on Twitter before the midterms |url=https://www.cnn.com/2022/11/02/tech/elon-musk-twitter-donald-trump/index.html |access-date=November 2, 2022 |website=CNN}} Musk then put the reinstatement up to a Twitter poll on November 18. The poll ran for 24 hours and ended with around 52% of over 15 million respondents voting "Yes" to reinstate Trump's account.{{cite web |last1=Smith |first1=Tim |last2=Birnbaum |first2=Emily |date=November 19, 2022 |title=Musk Says Trump Will Be Reinstated on Twitter After Poll Win |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-11-19/musk-starts-twitter-poll-on-reinstating-former-president-trump |access-date=November 20, 2022 |website=Bloomberg}}{{Cite web |date=November 19, 2022 |title=Elon Musk starts Twitter poll on whether to bring back Trump |url=https://www.cnbc.com/2022/11/19/elon-musk-starts-twitter-poll-on-whether-to-bring-back-trump.html |access-date=November 19, 2022 |website=CNBC}} Once the poll ended, Musk quote tweeting his poll to confirm that he would reinstate Trump's account, citing the Latin phrase Vox populi, vox Dei ("The voice of the people is the voice of God").{{cite news |last1=Mac |first1=Ryan |last2=Browning |first2=Kellen |date=November 19, 2022 |title=Elon Musk Reinstates Trump's Twitter Account |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2022/11/19/technology/trump-twitter-musk.html |access-date=November 21, 2022 |work=The New York Times}} Trump's account was then reinstated, on November 19.

Trump's first tweet to Twitter (now called X) was made on August 24, 2023, appealing for campaign donations with a photo of his mugshot in the Georgia election racketeering prosecution.{{Cite news |last1=Coster |first1=Helen |last2=Dang |first2=Sheila |date=2023-08-25 |title=Trump returns to X, formerly Twitter, with mug shot and appeal for donations |url=https://www.reuters.com/technology/trump-returns-social-media-site-x-formerly-twitter-with-mug-shot-post-2023-08-25/ |access-date=2023-08-25 |work=Reuters}} Trump did not tweet again until August 12, 2024, when he posted ahead of an interview with Elon Musk.{{cite web |last1=Kafka |first1=Peter |title=Trump is suddenly back on Twitter |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-twitter-account-tweets-ad-campaign-musk-2024-8 |access-date=12 August 2024 |website=Business Insider}}

In February 2025, X settled with Trump in his lawsuit against the company for his suspension, paying him approximately $10 million.{{Cite news |last=Haberman |first=Maggie |last2=Conger |first2=Kate |date=2025-02-13 |title=Elon Musk's X Settles Trump Lawsuit |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2025/02/12/technology/musk-x-settles-trump-lawsuit.html |access-date=2025-02-13 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}

In January 2023, special counsel Jack Smith obtained a search warrant for records of Trump's Twitter account activity in relation to the federal prosecution of Trump's alleged role in the January 6 United States Capitol attack. Twitter, which had been acquired by Elon Musk three months earlier, objected to a nondisclosure provision that prevented them from informing Trump about the search warrant. Because Twitter did not comply with the warrant by the deadline, a judge fined the company $350,000. In February 2023, Twitter complied with the warrant.{{Cite web |last=Richer |first=Alanna |date=2023-08-09 |title=Special counsel got a search warrant for Twitter to turn over info on Trump's account, documents say |url=https://apnews.com/article/twitter-trump-account-capitol-riot-jack-smith-9e66943fd7ebdae0038838c144b57d4f |access-date=2023-08-09 |website=AP News |language=en}}{{Cite news |last=Paul |first=Kari |date=2023-08-09 |title=US special counsel obtained search warrant for Trump's Twitter account |url=https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/aug/09/twitter-fined-contempt-trump-case |access-date=2023-08-09 |work=The Guardian |language=en-GB |issn=0261-3077}}{{Cite web |last=Cheney |first=Kyle |date=2023-08-09 |title=Special counsel obtained search warrant for Donald Trump's Twitter account |url=https://www.politico.com/news/2023/08/09/special-counsel-obtained-search-warrant-for-donald-trumps-twitter-account-00110484 |access-date=2023-08-09 |website=Politico |language=en}}{{cite news |last1=McKinnon |first1=John D. |date=August 16, 2023 |title=Elon Musk Withheld Twitter Data to 'Cozy Up' to Donald Trump, Judge Suggests |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/musk-withheld-twitter-data-to-cozy-up-to-trump-judge-suggests-48af2e91 |newspaper=The Wall Street Journal}}{{cite news |last1=Feuer |first1=Alan |last2=Haberman |first2=Maggie |date=August 16, 2023 |title=Special Counsel Used Warrant to Get Trump's Twitter Direct Messages |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/15/us/politics/trump-twitter-direct-messages-warrant.html |work=The New York Times}} However, in April 2023, prosecutors complained to the court that Twitter had provided only 32 direct messages.{{Cite web |last=Sneed |first=Tierney |date=2023-09-15 |title=Twitter turned over at least 32 direct messages from Trump's account to special counsel |url=https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/15/politics/trump-twitter-direct-messages/index.html |access-date=2023-09-15 |website=CNN |language=en}} Twitter's appeals failed on January 16, 2024, at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit{{Cite news |last=Weiner |first=Rachel |date=January 16, 2024 |title=Court rejects Twitter's claim of right to alert Trump to Jan. 6 search |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/01/16/twitter-trump-appeal-rejected-jan-6/ |access-date=January 17, 2024 |newspaper=Washington Post}} and on October 7, 2024, at the U.S. Supreme Court.{{Cite web |last=Fritze |first=John |date=2024-10-07 |title=Supreme Court boots Elon Musk's fight with Jack Smith over Trump's Twitter records |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2024/10/07/politics/elon-musk-trump-twitter-records/index.html |access-date=2024-10-07 |website=CNN |language=en}}

{{Notelist}}

{{Reflist}}

{{Commons category}}

• [https://www.cnn.com/interactive/2017/politics/trump-tweets/ Trump Tweets] at CNN
• [https://factba.se/topic/deleted-tweets List of Donald Trump deleted tweets] on Factbase
• [https://www.thetrumparchive.com/ Trump Twitter archive]

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