Donald Trump is still banned from Twitter (“due to the risk of further incitement of violence”), Facebook (“Mr. Trump created an environment where a serious risk of violence was possible”), and Twitch (“we believe this is a necessary step to protect our community and prevent Twitch from being used to incite further violence”). The former president also had his account suspended on YouTube following the events of January 6, but he’s trying to get back on the video-sharing platform.
Trump asked a judge in Florida “to issue a preliminary injunction in his case against YouTube that would compel the company to reinstate his access to the platform,” the New York Post reports. “The request for a preliminary injunction against YouTube argues that a failure to issue one would result in irreparable harm to both Trump as a potential political candidate in the future and the Republican Party as a whole, court documents dated Monday show.” There’s another reason he’s trying to rejoin the ranks of “Cat Jump Fail” and “Rubber Band Crash and Burn Weezer Cover,” however.
Notably, the injunction would allow Trump to continue selling merchandise on YouTube, potentially critical to political fundraising efforts.
In other words, he wants to sell his overpriced MAGA merchandise on YouTube. Trump previously filed lawsuits against Facebook, Twitter, and Google for “illegal and shameful censorship of the American people,” claiming that the tech titan’s alleged First Amendment violations were costing him (and other people, but mostly him) “trillions” of dollars. Where else can Trump’s supporters buy $14 jelly beans and a $90 gold sequin shirts if he’s not on YouTube, except by going to his official website? Censorship!
(Via the New York Post)