Almost a week after hosting the Rose Garden Ceremony which included over 150 guests, Trump announced on October 2nd, via Twitter, that he and the First Lady had tested positive for COVID-19. The president was then flown to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where it was reported that he had symptoms of coughing, fever, and congestion. He received a number of unreleased therapies such as monoclonal antibodies and remdesivir- a drug only approved for emergency use in patients moderately to severely ill and in intensive care. However, much to everyone's surprise, Trump was released from the hospital three days later and returned to the White House. The President tweeted on October 11th, "A total and complete sign off from White House Doctors yesterday. That means I can’t get it (immune), and can’t give it. Very nice to know". Twitter ended up flagging this tweet for violating the Twitter Rules by "spreading misleading and potentially harmful information related to Covid-19”.
In my opinion, I think it's extremely irresponsible for the President to be spreading misinformation about this deadly virus. His claim that a sign off means that he is "immune" has not been proven by the medical world and implies the idea that anyone that has had coronavirus has no reason to social distance anymore. Furthermore, Trump has been extremely sketchy with his COVID-19 test reports (the date that he was actually diagnosed is uncertain) and is yet to display evidence of a negative test after his initial diagnosis. If he is actually 100 percent coronavirus free then he should have nothing to hide and other doctors are quick to point out the unreliability of his statements. Arguably the most influential man in the world, President Trump is spreading false information about a deadly virus in the midst of a pandemic by allowing others to assume that you can’t spread the virus just because you can discontinue isolation or happen to be 10 days out from your first positive test, and that recovering from COVID-19 automatically makes you immune to ever contracting the disease again.
Do you think Twitter had the right to flag the tweet and potentially hinder our President's "right to free speech"?
Was Trump doing the public a disservice by downplaying his diagnosis and the seriousness of this pandemic?
What impact will this have on the upcoming election (if any)?
Sources:
https://time.com/5896274/trump-covid-19-treatments/
It's absurd to claim that flagging a tweet hinders free speech. Twitter did not even take down the tweet (which would be within their rights to do, because it violated their rules), and let it stay up with a warning.
ReplyDeleteDownplaying a virus is unquestionably harming the public because it causes people to underestimate the risk of the virus which will lead to less strict adherence to medical guidelines, and consequently more infections and death.
The question of possible impacts on the election is note entirely clear yet. I find it hard to believe that this will sway many Trump supporters because of how many previous stories he has survived. However it will put the focus on COVID again, which is arguably a weak point for Trump.
I completely agree with your first statement- as a company with a platform that influences millions, it is Twitter's responsibility to mitigate the spread of fake news and untrue information. President Trump, arguably the most influential man in the world, stated misleading words in this tweet that put many lives at risk. I was unaware that Twitter had the ability to take down the tweet and I almost wish they did, although it may have lead to side debate that would have stirred as a distraction from the important issue at hand, COVID-19.
DeleteTrump definitely did the public a disservice by downplaying his diagnosis and the seriousness of this pandemic. He stated, “Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life,” endangering Americans and reinforcing his reckless leadership that advocates for no masks with little regard to science. His supporters are still committed to him, thinking he’s some kind of hero for “beating the virus.” People still believe that masks are a political statement instead of what it actually is: a cover for your nose and mouth to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Over 210,000 Americans died without the full attention of a team of doctors equipped with the latest and greatest medicine. And yet he continues to state uneducated, unempathetic, flippant remarks that continue to mislead the public and put more Americans at risk.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Tristan and Abbie that it is crazy that Trump think it is okay to downplay the severity of such a deadly virus. It is obviously much more dangerous than he makes it out to be and by doing this, he is encouraging people to ignore guidelines set to go out and not social distance. Trump does not realize that he is very influential and many people who are uneducated look to him for information. If he is misleading them, they are the ones who will suffer the consequences. In addition, it is a very real possibility that Trump never even had coronavirus and he pretended to take these drugs because he wanted to make sure it seemed like his administration had found a cure for the virus in light of the election coming up. One cannot be certain of what is really going on in the White House.
ReplyDeleteI think that twitter did have the right to take down Trump’s tweet because they are responsible for any tweets with false or misleading information. In today’s America, so many people rely on Twitter for news and updates on COVID so it is important that Twitter has a reliable “fact-checker” which ensures that users receive accurate information. I think that “freedom of speech” only goes so far and is not a strong argument when one puts others in danger by lying and spreading false information. Sadly, I do not think that this will impact the election because as Tristan said, Trump has already had numerous scandals and I think that the supporters he has now will not change their minds due to this coronavirus scandal.
ReplyDeleteYou and Tristan both bring up a great point about the lack of effect this will have on the upcoming election. This is arguably one of Trump's smaller scandals that have taken place over the last four or so years. That being said, his diagnosis did lead to the cancellation of the typical second round of presidential debate that was supposed to occur this week. Instead, both Joe Biden and Donald Trump will be holding competing town halls. Although this seems to have a direct effect on the election, in the long run it likely will not change anything. Most people recognize that presidential debates themselves seem to lack productivity and very rarely does it sway voters' minds. Trump's handling of the coronavirus situation during the past six months is an adequate representation of his stance towards and voters have had a clear idea of how he is likely to handle this pandemic going forward (no plan speaks volumes).
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ReplyDeleteI think Twitter did the right think by flagging the tweet because having someone as influential as the President spreading false information to the public could prove to be very harmful. They also didn't overstep their bounds because like Tristan said, they didn't totally delete the tweet they simply flagged it so people would know his statement isn't factual. I also think that he was doing the public a disservice by making seem COVID-19 seem like a minor issue. This could cause many people to treat it as something you can just ignore, which could then cause people to start being less considerate and careful when coming in contact with others.
ReplyDeleteTwitter flagging the tweet doesn't hinder free speech because Twitter is a private organization and they can do whatever they want. He was also pumped full of steroids and experimental drugs so to him it wasn't even that bad. I do believe that him overcoming COVID will actually help his numbers as people will see their president live and say it wasn't that bad. It was obviously a public disservice but everything he says in general about COVID is a disservice. His supporters and anti-maskers will stand stronger with him after his downplaying, and will become even more annoying leading to the election and debates on COVID.
ReplyDeleteTrump downplaying COVID has put so many Republican Americans in danger as they truly believe COVID isn't a threat to their health because the president said so. Him downplaying COVID within himself will help his supporters because he isn't showing (at least in public) many symptoms. More supporters will continue to believe that COVID is less than it is, and continue to go out and not wear masks, harming not just them but everyone.
ReplyDeleteTrump contracting covid, then immediately downplaying it is very dangerous, as well as the spreading of misinformation. Many people (unfortunately) are heavily influenced by him, despite his constant neglect of scientific facts. By saying that it was not a big deal means that many people in America will also believe that and not take any precautions, putting themselves and others at risk of contracting this disease. This may also impact the coming election because Trump has said multiple times that the virus is not a big deal, and since (to the public eye) he made it seem that way, more people are likely to believe what he was saying is true. His dismissiveness of the virus puts thousands and millions of people at risk. I also believe that Twitter had the right to take down his tweet as Gabriel and Caitlin said, they are a private organization as well as responsible for keeping their platform reliable. -Rowan Trump contracting covid, then immediately downplaying it is very dangerous, as well as the spreading of misinformation. Many people (unfortunately) are heavily influenced by him, despite his constant neglect of scientific facts. By saying that it was not a big deal means that many people in America will also believe that and not take any precautions, putting themselves and others at risk of contracting this disease. This may also impact the coming election because Trump has said multiple times that the virus is not a big deal, and since (to the public eye) he made it seem that way, more people are likely to believe what he was saying is true. His dismissiveness of the virus puts thousands and millions of people at risk. I also believe that Twitter had the right to take down his tweet as Gabriel and Caitlin said, they are a private organization as well as responsible for keeping their platform reliable. -Rowan CC
ReplyDeleteI strongly agree with Rowan's perspective. Given the heavy influence and power Trump has over many, downplaying the seriousness of the virus certainly places others at risk. Especially given Trump's position on social distancing and wearing masks, by downplaying his experience, it gives people even more of a reason to continue gathering without proper safety protocols. As Caitlin and Tristan mentioned, Twitter made the right decision in flagging Trump's misleading tweet and they are far from hindering one's right to free speech. Twitter legally has the right to remove any tweets breaching community guidelines and all users agree to this policy when they sign up. In addition, similar to what others have mentioned, the first priority should be to serve and protect the people. Thus, when Tweets do otherwise and pose potential danger, actions must be taken.
ReplyDeleteTrump was absolutely doing the public a disservice by downplaying his COVID diagnosis and the seriousness of this pandemic. As Rowan mentioned, Trump has amassed a relatively large group of supporters who hang on to his every word and who put their own lives in his hands; when he says something, his devoted followers of believe him unquestioningly. By downplaying the severity of the coronavirus, Trump is relaying the message to his supporters that they should not worry about the virus, which is far from the deadly reality. This impacts others as well; we follow safety guidelines not only for our own safety, but for the safety of others as well. When there is a large group of people fighting against these guidelines, which are backed by scientific evidence, the safety of the larger public is put at risk.
ReplyDeleteI agree with everyone else that Twitter does have the right to flag Donald Trump’s tweets. While the First Amendment does grant the right of free speech including slander unless the court explicitly declares the statement slander, Twitter (as Gabrial mentioned) is a private organization, not a branch of the government that has to abide by the amendments. Donald Trump, as the President of the US, has the obligation to “represent all United States citizens” and “focus on the welfare of the entire nation.” Downplaying his diagnosis and the seriousness of the pandemic has spread misinformation among citizens, who will no longer fully understand and obey the proper health guidelines for covid. While Trump himself may be fine, what about those without access to those resources? Those without access to antibiotics and constant visits to doctors? Advocating for not obeying covid guidelines threatens the lives of thousands. Trump can express his opinion, but his disregard for those who are truly at risk makes me disappointed. As others mentioned, I also don’t think that his actions are going to have that much of an effect of changing the minds of his supporters, but I do think that his irresponsibility will be a source of motivation for more people to vote.
ReplyDeleteI believe that Twitter had every right to flag Trump's tweets. Despite having the first amendment of free speech, it is Donald Trump's duty as president to report to the United States people the truth, rather than spreading false information. As Farah mentioned, he's been downplaying his diagnosis as well the pandemic as a whole since the very beginning. It's a public disservice to not tell the people the truth about how deadly this virus can be, as he doesn't seem to care that over 200,000+ Americans have died to this virus. Although Trump may have recovered fully and is in good spirits, it does not give him the right to say that everyone and himself is immune. Not only does he downplay the virus, he also has called the virus the "China Virus" and "Kung Flu" which is extremely irresponsible for the president to shift his wrongdoings onto another country. When Donald Trump stood in front of the White House after depart Walter Reed, he took his mask off, which shows he has zero empathy for people. As mentioned by a few other people, I don't believe that it'll change the minds of his supporters, but it may encourage the educated undecided voters to vote for Biden.
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ReplyDeleteI agree with the large part of people here. Downplaying a pandemic is a bad idea and what Trump has been doing is going to backfire very soon. Only 100 years ago we were suffering through the Spanish flu pandemic and many back then had died. We beleived that we had become untouchable and now that we realize that global pandemics still exist, we now try to cover up the severity of a virus which is killing many. Currently, America is one of the worst hit countries by the corona virus. But do to our presidents handling of this, A large portion of the Population believes that they are fine and that they will be safe.
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