Twitter Locks Trump Campaign Account Over Coronavirus-related Video

By Staff, Agencies

Twitter social media giant locked Wednesday the official handle of US President Donald Trump's re-election campaign over a coronavirus-related video.

According to reports in the US media, the account will not be able to post again until it removes a video clip from a Fox News interview where Trump says children are "almost immune" to the virus.

Facebook, which has thus far avoided any action on Trump's content, also removed the video in question.

Twitter spokesperson Liz Kelley told the Washington Post that the video violated the company's rules on "COVID-19 misinformation." The Trump camp will be able to contest the move.

In a statement to The Hill, the campaign pointed out that the Twitter staffer coming out with a statement was a former press secretary to Senator Kamala Harris, a former Democrat presidential hopeful and, reportedly, one of presumptive nominee Joe Biden's possible picks for his running mate.

"Another day, another display of Silicon Valley’s flagrant bias against this President, where the rules are only enforced in one direction," the campaign told the newspaper.

Earlier, Twitter refused to remove posts from Chinese officials alleging that the disease may have been brought to China from the United States, saying that foreign policy commentary, including saber-rattling, did not violate its policies.