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TULSA, Okla. — Former Tulsa Republican Mayor Dewey Bartlett announced in a Facebook post that he “terminated” his Twitter account. His reasoning, “Free speech should be afforded to every American as guaranteed by our Constitution.” He deleted his account after Trump was banned from Twitter.
“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,” Twitter stated.
Bartlett permanently deleted his account 10-days after President Donald J. Trump was accused by Democrats and some Republicans for inciting a violent insurrection in an effort to stop the certification of President-elect Joseph Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. Trump’s rebellion resulted in several deaths including a murdered police officer at the U.S. Capitol building.
Twitter isn’t the only social media company to ban Trump. Facebook has placed a hold on Trump’s page as well: “We believe the risks of allowing the President to continue to use our service during this period are simply too great,” CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a post, Thursday. Bartlett ironically used Facebook to communicate his disproval of the Trump ban. Instagram also banned Trump, which Bartlett also has an account with.
On Wednesday, the U.S. House impeached the President for a second time for “incitement of insurrection,” making him the first president in history to be impeached twice. Notably, 10-members from Bartlett’s party voted in favor of the President’s impeachment. Multiple House members cited Trump’s dangerous Twitter rhetoric as a source that led to the rebellion on the U.S. Capitol building.
Since Twitter pulled the plug on Trump’s dangerous Tweets, thousands of Trump sympathizers are abandoning Twitter in protest. Many of them are flocking to platforms like Gab, a social networking site known for its far-right userbase.
Gab is considered a haven for far-right extremists, tolerant of neo-Nazi, white supremacists, white nationalists and alt-right rhetoric. Many of its subscribers and users have either been banned or abandoned established social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook in protest.
Bartlett’s grievances seemingly parallel many on the social media platform Gab because he, too, apparently feels his “free speech” and “individual liberty” are at stake since the President was banned from Twitter.
The former Tulsa Mayor’s actions triggered Trump sympathizers who follow his page, some of whom stated that they’ve switched to Gab.
Publisher’s Note: With the Nation on high alert due to Wednesday, January 6’s insurrection attempt at the U.S. Capitol and with far-right extremists planning armed-protests at 50 states’ capitols, Bartlett’s actions are undoubtedly more harmful than helpful in a nation badly in need of leaders who need to set an example on both sides of the aisle on how to heal.