Mark Zuckerberg has shared a lengthy statement addressing Donald Trump's violent posts on social media and why Facebook isn't going to be removing the president's horrific messages. Earlier this week, while the protests in Minneapolis against the police killing of George Floyd were already in full swing, Trump took to social media to express his disappointment with the rioters for looting establishments. Although his remarks garnered the most attention on Twitter, he also reposted them on both Instagram and Facebook.
"I can’t stand back & watch this happen to a great American City, Minneapolis. A total lack of leadership. Either the very weak Radical Left Mayor, Jacob Frey, get his act together and bring the City under control, or I will send in the National Guard & get the job done right," he wrote. "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!" His words, in particular the phrase "when the looting starts the shooting starts," invoked fear and outrage in so many Americans for their threatening and violence-inciting nature. Although Trump has since claimed that what he meant to say was that the rioters would start shooting each other once the looting starts, his words were so alarming that Twitter actually hid the tweet that included the aforementioned phrase, a quote attributed to famed segregationist and Miami Police Chief Walter Headley in 1967.
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However, his posts on Facebook remain without even a warning of sensitive material. On Friday (May 29th), Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg explained why this is the case. "I know many people are upset that we've left the President's posts up, but our position is that we should enable as much expression as possible unless it will cause imminent risk of specific harms or dangers spelled out in clear policies," Zuckerberg explained. "We looked very closely at the post that discussed the protests in Minnesota to evaluate whether it violated our policies. Although the post had a troubling historical reference, we decided to leave it up because the National Guard references meant we read it as a warning about state action, and we think people need to know if the government is planning to deploy force. Our policy around incitement of violence allows discussion around state use of force, although I think today's situation raises important questions about what potential limits of that discussion should be."
However, as pointed out by Complex, this response contradicts a vow Zuckerberg made to Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez regarding politicians using his platform. "If anyone, including a politician, is saying things that can cause, that is calling for violence or could risk imminent physical harm.... we will take that content down," he declared only a few months ago.
Zuckerberg concluded his statement on Friday by saying: "There are heated debates about how we apply our policies during moments like this. I know people are frustrated when we take a long time to make these decisions. These are difficult decisions and, just like today, the content we leave up I often find deeply offensive. We try to think through all the consequences, and we keep our policies under constant review because the context is always evolving."
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"People can agree or disagree on where we should draw the line," he continued, "but I hope they understand our overall philosophy is that it is better to have this discussion out in the open, especially when the stakes are so high. I disagree strongly with how the President spoke about this, but I believe people should be able to see this for themselves, because ultimately accountability for those in positions of power can only happen when their speech is scrutinized out in the open."
Taylor Swift Slams Donald Trump For Violent Tweet About Protestors
Taylor Swift tweeted directly at Donald Trump, slamming him for "feign[ing] moral superiority before threatening violence" and vowing to vote him out of office.
Taylor Swift fired back at Donald Trump after he posted a horrifying tweet seemingly threatening violence on the protestors in Minneapolis in the wake of George Floyd's murder. On Thursday (May 28th), the third day of the protests fighting for justice in George Floyd's death, the President of the United States sent out some tweets in regards to the looting and rioting occurring.
"I can’t stand back & watch this happen to a great American City, Minneapolis," he wrote. "A total lack of leadership. Either the very weak Radical Left Mayor, Jacob Frey, get his act together and bring the City under control, or I will send in the National Guard & get the job done right....." However, it was his follow-up tweet, which has since been hidden for violating Twitter's rules against “glorifying violence," that sparked immense fear and outrage among protestors and Americans as a whole. "These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen," he said. "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!"
His remarks, in particular the statement "when the looting starts, the shooting starts," stunned many, as it appeared that the president had just given the green light to enact violence on the American people while they were protesting violence against Black folks by law enforcement.
One somewhat surprising response that's been making waves came from the formerly politically silent Taylor Swift, who tweeted directly at Trump and vowed to vote him out of office for his racism and incompetence. "After stoking the fires of white supremacy and racism your entire presidency, you have the nerve to feign moral superiority before threatening violence?" she wrote. "‘When the looting starts the shooting starts’??? We will vote you out in November. @realdonaldtrump."
Trump Attempts To Clarify Meaning Of Violent "Shooting" Tweet
Donald Trump tried to backtrack on his "when the looting starts, the shooting starts" tweet, claiming that it was not a threat to protestors.
Donald Trump is now claiming that he was not threatening any violence on the American people protesting against the murder of George Floyd by police when he sent out his recent tweet about looting. On Thursday (May 28th), the President of the United States took to Twitter to comment on the riots occurring in Minneapolis as a form of protest against police brutality and explain how he plans to take action.
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"I can’t stand back & watch this happen to a great American City, Minneapolis," he tweeted. "A total lack of leadership. Either the very weak Radical Left Mayor, Jacob Frey, get his act together and bring the City under control, or I will send in the National Guard & get the job done right....."
His follow-up tweet, which has since been hidden by Twitter for violating their rules about “glorifying violence," has come under immense and justified scrutiny for what could only be perceived as threatening violence on the protestors. "These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen," he wrote. "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!"
The message sparked outrage and instilled fear in the hearts of many Americans. However, Trump has since elaborated on the tweet, specifically his use of the horrifying phrase, "when the looting starts, the shooting starts," by explaining that he supposedly meant the protestors will inevitable open fire on each other once they start looting.
"Looting leads to shooting, and that’s why a man was shot and killed in Minneapolis on Wednesday night - or look at what just happened in Louisville with 7 people shot," he tweeted on Friday (May 29th). "I don’t want this to happen, and that’s what the expression put out last night means...." He followed this up in another tweet, writing, "....It was spoken as a fact, not as a statement. It’s very simple, nobody should have any problem with this other than the haters, and those looking to cause trouble on social media. Honor the memory of George Floyd!"
Kim & Kourtney Kardashian Throw Punches In "KUWTK" Trailer
Kim and Kourtney Kardashian get into a physical altercation in the trailer for season 18 of “Keeping Up With The Kardashians.”
Kim Kardashian and Kourtney Kardashian’s feud has escalated to the point of physical violence, as seen in the season 18 trailer for their reality show, Keeping Up With The Kardashians. In the promo for the latest season of KUWTK, tension continues to rise between the famous sisters, who have been involved in an on-and-off feud since the previous season was filmed. The beginning of the 45-second clip shows Kourtney and Khloe having a spat in Kim’s presence, in which Khloe asks Kourtney, “why do you have to have an attitude?” Kourtney responds, “just don’t involve yourself in business that is not yours,” to which Khloe says, “then don’t talk about it in front of me.” While it’s unclear what exactly the two of them are arguing about, Khloe later gets into a fight with Kim as well, and things get heated.
In a later scene, Kourtney yells at Kim, “you have nothing to say!” before throwing a water bottle at her and seemingly pushing her sister to the ground. Kim retaliates by approaching Kourtney and telling her, “don’t ever come at me like that” before throwing a punch at Kourtney’s face. The trailer cuts to Kendall Jenner declaring, “buttons have been pressed,” and she’s definitely not wrong.
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Kourtney has been at odds with Kim and the rest of the Kardashian-Jenner clan since she revealed that she wanted to focus more on motherhood and less on making appearances on the show. Though Kourtney clarified that she wasn’t totally saying goodbye to KUWTK, her family was frustrated with her decision. Kourtney’s step back from the show has led to some major tension between herself and her sisters, who now have to pick up her slack to fulfill a certain amount of filming hours. However, Kim revealed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show in December that she and Kourtney had worked on mending their relationship, but only after they’d filmed season 18.
“What sucks is that Season 18 will come out soon, and it gets worse before it gets better,” Kim noted. “So, her and I have healed and have talked about everything, and have really come to an understanding.” All of the chaos and turmoil will be gracing our screens on March 6th, when Keeping Up With The Kardashians returns for season 18.
Soulja Boy Accused Of Viciously Beating & Tying Up Woman In Lawsuit
She claims she was left with fractured ribs and a facial contusion.
Young Draco seems to have been humbled after serving three months in jail last year. The often loud, flashy, and in-your-face rap star has been laying low since his release, and back in September 2019, his manager Miami Mike shared with TMZ that Soulja Boy was getting himself healthy and staying out of trouble. It was later announced that the rapper would be joining the Millennium Tour II, so it’s safe to say he’s been preparing for a show his fans won’t ever forget.
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While things seem like Soulja Boy has been keeping his nose clean, a woman has stepped forward with a lawsuit. According to The Blast, an unidentified woman has made claims that the rapper viciously beat her over the head before she was sexually assaulted by someone else inside of his home. The Blast states that they’ve acquired the legal documents that detail the woman’s account of what allegedly happened at Soulja Boy’s Los Angeles residence.
The incident is said to have occurred in February 2019, a month before the rapper was arrested for violating his probation. The woman claims that she and Soulja Boy have known each other for the better part of four years, having an on-again-off-again romantic relationship. In February, the woman says she got into a physical fight with an unnamed woman who works for Soulja. The rapper came outside when he realized there was an altercation and “approached yelling profanities and kicked her, stomped her on the stomach and bashed her head with a large gun.”
The documents added that he “held the gun to her (the woman’s) head and told her she was going to die that night and would not make it home.” The alleged victim states she was “hurt so badly that she had trouble breathing.” If things were already bizarre enough, the woman claims that Soulja Boy ordered her to take a shower and watched her while she bathed. He allegedly “was not happy with how (the woman) looked after the shower and asked her to take a second shower because she still had mud and dirt on her from when (the rapper) beat her by his driveway.”
This story takes another turn as the alleged victim says Soulja Boy “instructed his assistant, to take her in the garage and tie her up with duct tape.” Then, the assistant apparently “wrapped an extension cord around (her) arms and took (her) into the garage.” People reportedly came and went through the house for hours and watched her sitting there.
A man at the scene reportedly told the alleged victim “that he would let her go if she performed oral sex on him” and she “felt she has no choice but to perform oral sex on him in order to escape the garage.” She states she was freed the following morning at 8:00 a.m. and went to file a police report before she was “taken to the hospital where she was told she had three fractured ribs and a facial contusion.”
She’s suing for an undisclosed amount, but is alleging assault and battery, false imprisonment, and sexual battery.
Trouble Accused Of Pulling Woman Out Of Car By Her Hair & Chipping Her Tooth
The incident allegedly occurred after a New Year’s Eve party.
As his name suggests, Trouble has gotten into some hot water after a woman accused him of physically assaulting her early New Year’s Day. Atlanta news outlet 11 Live reported on Wednesday that Trouble and the unnamed woman were involved in an altercation after leaving a party together. According to a report from the Atlanta Police Department, the incident began when the woman confronted Trouble after witnessing him grab another woman’s butt at the party, which they had attended together. Trouble and the woman were in a car when she accused him of the act, and at some point, Trouble told her “I got something for you.” In that moment, the woman claimed that she “feared for her life,” so she “called her sister so that she could know what happened before it happened,” and gave her sister Trouble’s license plate number.
Trouble allegedly grabbed her out of the car by her hair, pulling off her wig. She also accused him of pushing her to the ground and causing her to chip her tooth and bruise her knuckles. According to the police report, her injuries were visible. Trouble has previously been involved in an on-and-off relationship with Love & Hip Hop star, Alexis Skyy, though the two appeared to have broken up again in October when Trouble was caught shooting his shit at Angela Simmons on his Instagram story.