Twitter and Facebook intervened after President Trump posted on their platforms recommending Americans vote twice in November’s election Thursday.
Each of the social media companies acted on postings made by the president’s accounts in which he suggested voters cast their ballots by mail and then possibly again at the polls.
Twitter put labels on two of Mr. Trump’s posts, or tweets, that said each violated its rules about civic and election integrity “for encouraging people to potentially vote twice.”
Although it left the tweets online, Twitter hid them behind the labels and imposed restrictions. Users cannot reply to either tweet, and the tweets cannot be shared, or retweeted, unless quoted by an account.
Facebook similarly left Mr. Trump’s post on its platform in place but added a notice informing users that voting by mail “has a long history of trustworthiness,” meanwhile.
The president’s social media posts — worded identically on both platforms — came precisely two months until polls close in his race against Democratic rival Joseph R. Biden.
“On Election Day, or Early Voting, go to your Polling Place to see whether or not your Mail In Vote has been Tabulated (Counted),” Mr. Trump posted in part. “If it has you will not be able to Vote & the Mail In System worked properly. If it has not been Counted, VOTE (which is a citizen’s right to do). If your Mail In Ballot arrives after you Vote, which it should not, that Ballot will not be used or counted in that your vote has already been cast & tabulated.”
Intentionally voting twice is illegal.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.