Rep. Matt Gaetz Mocked For Caring More About Twitter Bans Than Insurrection
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Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) has his priorities, and apparently, the fact that Twitter is banning politicians who violate its terms of services agreement angers him more than last week’s insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
On Monday — after Twitter permanently banned President Donald Trump’s account, @RealDonald Trump, for inciting violence — the Florida congressman falsely suggested the social media platform’s terms of services violate the First Amendment.
“We cannot live in a world where Twitter’s terms of service are more important than the terms in our Constitution and Bill of Rights,” he tweeted.
We cannot live in a world where Twitter’s terms of service are more important than the terms in our Constitution and Bill of Rights.
— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz) January 11, 2021
Many Twitter users questioned the lawmaker’s priorities — and also his understanding of the First Amendment, whose free speech protections do not apply to private businesses.
Since you clearly do not understand the Constitution and how the First Amendment works perhaps you should resign from Congress. https://t.co/xvpa3tT3ku
— Cathleen London MD (@DrChaya) January 11, 2021
There is so much dumbass to unpack here . . . Just in one sentence . . . Some hillbilly with more patience than me please explain to this dumb dummy that US freedom of speech don't mean private companies gotta transmit nobody's nothing (or something, or anything). https://t.co/FHdDCsglGk
— John Wheeler (@barleyscotch) January 11, 2021
I was just emailing with a conservative gentleman about this very point. They are more upset about Trump losing his Twitter feed than they are about the US Capitol being attacked and a police officer being killed.
How do you reconcile that? https://t.co/kpD6cSTc1G— Marcos Breton (@MarcosBreton) January 11, 2021
I'm confused. I thought you were zealous in wanting government to allow private business total freedom. Surely you're not being hypocritical ....#CapitolBuilding #capitolbreach #TrumpBanned https://t.co/jDhrh8jFhJ
— Rev. Michael Coren (@michaelcoren) January 11, 2021
Gaetz coming out as an anti-capitalist but still flunking poli sci 101. https://t.co/jpM3HvaYRH
— 🦑Emily Willingham🦑 (@ejwillingham) January 11, 2021
Then stop using Twitter. No one forces you to.
In contrast, anyone that lives in the US or is a US citizen is bound by the terms of service set forth by the Constitution.
While you can leave, you can't stay and decide that another country's terms uniquely apply to you. https://t.co/SHeX8gRpuf— Chris Messina (@chrismessina) January 11, 2021
We can't live in a world where even the dumbest among us listen to you. https://t.co/GuRRMZzpaD
— Brian Koppelman (@briankoppelman) January 11, 2021
If you thought that inspiring insurrectionists who tore up their offices and murdered one of the Capitol police officers who protect them would have humbled these arrogant haters of democracy, you'd be wrong. Congressman gas mask knows no shame. https://t.co/bOpXwmm1ea
— Walter Shaub (@waltshaub) January 11, 2021
We cannot live in a world where elected officials are dumb enough to openly conflate no-shirt-no-service with an affront to civil liberty. https://t.co/8yJ2BGt6yr
— David Simon (@AoDespair) January 11, 2021
Gaetz was one of 147 Republicans who voted to overturn the election results even after the Capitol siege. He also baselessly blamed the raid on antifa instead of Trump’s supporters.
This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.
