Trump Campaign's George Floyd Video Gets Removed From Twitter Over Copyright Claim
“Per our copyright policy, we respond to valid copyright complaints sent to us by a copyright owner or their authorized representatives,” Twitter said in a statement
After President Donald Trump's re-election campaign on Thursday posted a video tribute to George Floyd and the protests sparked by his death, Twitter removed it, saying there was "a claim by the copyright owner."
“Per our copyright policy, we respond to valid copyright complaints sent to us by a copyright owner or their authorized representatives,” the social media company said in a statement, according to the Associated Press. (The video is still up on the president's YouTube channel.)
The campaign video features images of protesters from over the past week as well as images of Floyd and audio of a recent Trump speech that he supports the right of peaceful protest and stands “as a friend and ally to every American seeking justice and peace.”
While the president has repeatedly expressed solidarity with Floyd's family, after Floyd was killed in police custody in Minneapolis last week, his focus has been the protesters — some of whom he's called "thugs" and "terrorists" who he said needed to be dominated by law enforcement.
In a speech from the White House Rose Garden on Monday, he said he was a "friend and ally" to demonstrators not long before authorities forcibly cleared peaceful protesters from outside the White House so Trump could walk to a nearby church for photographs.
Illinois' Gov. J.B. Pritzker echoed other governor's sentiments by telling Trump directly during a Monday morning phone call that Trump's language was "inflammatory."
On the same call, Maine Gov. Janet Mills warned Trump that she was "very concerned" about his visit to the state Friday, saying it could cause security concerns.
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Twitter removing the Trump campaign's video comes amid the president's growing unrest with the social media company, which has ramped up its efforts in the last month to flag Trump's misinformation on the site.
Trump used Twitter, his preferred mode of communicating with the public, to reignite a baseless conspiracy theory about MSNBC Morning Joe host Joe Scarborough — claiming Scarborough, a frequent critic, might have been responsible for murder.
The president also began promoting incorrect information about mail-in voting, which prompted Twitter to flag two of his posts late last month. Those notifications directed users to accurate information.
In response, Trump signed an executive order which sought to limit the power of shield laws that social media sites in the U.S. have used to protect against lawsuits over content users posts to their sites.
The president's executive order has been challenged by a lawsuit from the Center for Democracy and Technology.
To help combat systemic racism, consider learning from or donating to these organizations:
• Campaign Zero which works to end police brutality in America through research-proven strategies.
• ColorofChange.org works to make government more responsive to racial disparities.
• National Cares Mentoring Movement provides social and academic support to help black youth succeed in college and beyond.