Outgoing president Donald Trump was hit with a permanent Twitter ban. (Getty/ Tasos Katopodis)
A cake analogy has beautifully shut down Republicans who are claiming that Donald Trump was unfairly banned from Twitter.
The lame duck US president’s @RealDonaldTrump account was initially suspended from Twitter on Wednesday (6 January) after the social media platform decided a video he posted praising armed, extremist rioters at the US Capitol, describing them as “very special”.
The private social media company was clear that if Trump continued to violate its guidelines, a permanent suspension would follow. Which is exactly what happened.
After being allowed to return to Twitter Friday (8 January), Trump tweeted: “The 75,000,000 great American Patriots who voted for me, AMERICA FIRST, and MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, will have a GIANT VOICE long into the future. They will not be disrespected or treated unfairly in any way, shape or form!!!”
Shortly afterwards he posted again: “To all of those who have asked, I will not be going to the Inauguration on January 20th.”
His account was then permanently suspended, and Twitter said in a statement that his latest tweets were “likely to inspire others to replicate the violent acts that took place on 6 January, 2021, and that there are multiple indicators that they are being received and understood as encouragement to do so”.
Since then, many Trump-supporters and Trump himself have claimed that Twitter is “banning free speech” and “censoring” the outgoing president.
The Silicon Valley Cartel’s ban of @realDonaldTrump is an attack on the free speech of all Americans.
Next, it could be you.
— Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (@RepMTG) January 9, 2021
But one Twitter user has succinctly explained the situation to them using their own logic.
LGBT+ activist John Smith wrote: “To anyone complaining about a private media company kicking Trump off their platform: Think of Twitter as a Christian bakery and Trump as a gay wedding cake.”
To anyone complaining about a private media company kicking Trump off their platform:
Think of Twitter as a Christian bakery and Trump as a gay wedding cake.#BanTrumpFromTwitter
— John Smith Chicago (@JohnSmithChgo) January 9, 2021
Smith was referencing the 2018 Supreme Court case Masterpiece Cakeshop v Colorado Civil Rights Commission, in which the Supreme Court ruled by a margin of 7-2 that Masterpiece Cakeshop should be free to refuse services to same-sex couples.
The majority opinion led by Chief Justice Kennedy stated: “The reason and motive for the baker’s refusal were based on his sincere religious beliefs and convictions.”
Smith added: “For the record, I oppose LGBT+ discrimination. I’m calling out the hypocrisy of Republicans who say religion triumphs civil rights, but demand private media companies host purveyors of violence, hate and disinformation… I am just asking conservatives to respect the sincerely held beliefs of Twitter, just as they demand we respect their religious bigotry in other public services.”
This. Alexa, play all 7:29 of JT’s “What goes around… comes around”.
— Dr. Annie (@apricot_annie) January 9, 2021
One Twitter user told Smith: “I said something similar to this today! The conservatives REALLY screwed themselves by fighting SO hard to not serve gay people.
“Because now, they have no argument to being kicked out of a store for no mask, OR getting kicked off of privately owned social media.”
Another responded: “This. Alexa, play all 7:29 of JT’s ‘What goes around… comes around’.”
Except a gay couple won’t usually encourage attempted sedition https://t.co/aFpTaW8A9L
— Travis Bridges (@TravisB53797549) January 9, 2021
Smith admitted his analogy was “imperfect” as, clearly, Trump publicly spreading hatred on Twitter and being gay are very different things.
But, he added, the analogy was “aimed at people with deranged thinking to help them respect Twitter’s ‘beliefs’, as expressed in their terms of service”.