Statement on Trump’s Dangerous Online Rhetoric, as Law Enforcement Readies for Violent Protests

For Immediate Release
March 21, 2023
Contact: press@accountabletech.org

Accountable Tech Co-Founder and Executive Director Nicole Gill released the following statement on Trump’s escalating threat to public safety, hours after a bomb threat halted proceedings against the former President in New York City.

“In January, while giving Trump the keys to his Facebook account, Meta claimed the threat he posed to public safety had ‘subsided.’ On Friday, YouTube followed suit, citing a ‘careful’ evaluation of the risk of violence.

“But Trump’s extreme online rhetoric has only grown more dangerous since the deadly January 6th insurrection. Now, his latest call to arms – urging supporters to ‘protest’ and ‘take our nation back’ – has law enforcement once again preparing for a potential outpouring of violence.

“Meta and Google cannot argue in good faith that Trump is no longer a threat to public safety. The only question is whether they will continue to aid and abet his violence in the name of profit and political expediency.”

BACKGROUND:

Intelligence sources report a “significant increase” in threats aimed at law enforcement, judges, and government officials in New York and elsewhere.

Federal officials at the FBI and DHS are monitoring an increase in calls for ‘Civil War.’

Law enforcement officials in New York declared a “high alert day,” with all NYPD officers expected to be in uniform and ready for deployment Tuesday.

Public safety officials in DC stood up a Joint Information Center, which puts 12 local agencies on standby for deployment in case an emergency response is needed.

Bulletins from the US Capitol Police and DC Fusion Center warned of a surge in online threats, with one user promising “Jan 6*10 + Guns.”

DA Alvin Bragg’s office is reportedly facing threats from supporters of the former president who are echoing his claims of “political persecution.”

CEO of online threat analysis firm Memetica reported that “the steady stream of anti-government hostility and increasingly violent rhetoric is worrying.”
Even Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy pushed back on Trump’s call to arms, urging supporters not to protest and if they do, to avoid violence.

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