It’s been over a week since outgoing president Donald Trump was either permanently banned or had his access limited by the majority of social media services, and it really has made a difference. There’s less furious and scary tweets from the person who has the nuclear codes, while election misinformation has dropped a whopping 73 percent — thanks not only to his removal but the removal of tons of QAnon and other conspiracy theorists as well. But there’s one person who’s not happy: Donald Trump. And according to one of his spokespersons, he believes he now has no way of communicating with the general public.
I can’t believe I’m writing this. Campaign spokesperson Hogan Gidley claims on Fox News President Trump can’t denounce Capitol attack more because he doesn’t have a platform.
“(He) can’t say anything because the platforms have removed him,” Gidley says.
— Ana Cabrera (@AnaCabrera) January 17, 2021
“I can’t believe I’m writing this,” tweeted CNN’s Ana Cabrera. “Campaign spokesperson Hogan Gidley claims on Fox News President Trump can’t denounce Capitol attack more because he doesn’t have a platform. ‘(He) can’t say anything because the platforms have removed him,’ Gidley says.”
A couple things: First, he did denounce them, in a video released by the White House YouTube account during the week, and he even managed to do it while not also repeating baseless voter fraud allegations. Second, there are other ways the President on the United States can address the nation that don’t involve tweets. In fact, many people had some sound suggestions:
Ummm the briefing room – where the pool of world media waits 24 -7 ? https://t.co/VJ0MFiKJBm
— John Cusack (@johncusack) January 18, 2021
More Lies. The Brady briefing room is here. We are here. Mr. Trump where are you? Like the cowardly lion you need some courage. You have the largest platform in the world. Stop the b.s. https://t.co/CXMANmYHVs
— Brian J. Karem (@BrianKarem) January 17, 2021
And since he doesn’t have a briefing room or a bunch of reporters sitting around waiting for him to say something. Oh wait…… https://t.co/kikz7rCUYW
— Molly Jong-Fast
(@MollyJongFast) January 17, 2021
hopefully they pointed to the podium in the press room which is on a — wait for it
Platform
— Christopher Burgess (@burgessct) January 17, 2021
White House Press shop open all day sport.
Step up to the mic pic.twitter.com/5eQ6LruCdC
— YS (@NYinLA2121) January 17, 2021
This is the most childish answer in the HISTORY of childish answers.
POTUS (who has an entire studio set up in the West Wing, as well as staff to craft messaging, with representatives of every news network standing by to repeat his every word) moans “he doesn’t have a platform.” https://t.co/J3l4FA5MTi
— Rob Anderson
(@RobAnderson2018) January 17, 2021
Gosh, if only he had a White House briefing room or even an office in the shape of an oval to address the American public. https://t.co/oTl3WnQaXn
— Travis Akers (@travisakers) January 17, 2021
If only he could appear on television https://t.co/NXjesT95se
— Anne Applebaum (@anneapplebaum) January 17, 2021
Others found even this hard to believe.
he’s one of the only people on the planet who can command the national airwaves on a moment’s notice but taking away his tweeter box muted him ok got it https://t.co/H7VdXpXHDc
— shauna (@goldengateblond) January 18, 2021
And others wondered how 40-plus presidents managed to address their people in pre-internet or even social media times.
I don’t know about you but I *never* heard from the President of the United States before Twitter and Facebook.
— Pé (@4everNeverTrump) January 17, 2021
The Gettysburg Address took twice as many tweets because it was before the 280 character limit change.
— contranymic (@contranymic1) January 17, 2021
A history update for @JHoganGidley: We have had presidents continuously since 1789. Facebook was founded in 2004. Twitter in 2006. Somehow every President from George Washington to George W. Bush found a way to communicate to the American people. https://t.co/4tNmJtas3w
— David Sanger (@SangerNYT) January 17, 2021
We never had any trouble learning what the President of the United States had to say before social media was created. https://t.co/he53RKPVlK
— Renato Mariotti (@renato_mariotti) January 17, 2021
Presidents had no way of communicating before the creation of social media. We never heard from them! https://t.co/84nBqvpxNj
— Kathryn Watson (@kathrynw5) January 17, 2021