Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) on Wednesday issued a scathing rebuke of tech giant Meta’s decision to restore the Facebook and Instagram accounts of former President Donald Trump, two years after he was banned from the platform for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, rebellion.
Schiff accused Meta of putting profits in the public interest with this decision, which he called “inexplicable” and “tragic.”
“It represents, in my view, the totality and completeness,” he told MSNBC’s “The ReidOut.” “The only motive I can see is the profit motive here.”
Schiff said Trump continues to violate Facebook’s policies in posts on his own Truth Social platform, suggesting that the idea that he would behave differently on Facebook is wishful thinking.
“They continue to give aid and comfort to people who commit acts of rebellion, they continue to spread lies,” Schiff told MSNBC’s Joy Reid, in reference to Trump’s false claim that the 2020 presidential election was stolen from him.
Meta banned Trump’s account shortly after the January 6 Capitol riots, citing a threat to a peaceful transfer of power between the two presidents.
While the company initially said it would suspend the account “forever,” it later reversed its decision, announcing it would review the ban in two years from January 7, 2021, after an independent Supervisory Board criticized the open nature of the suspension.
Trump’s campaign also reportedly wrote to Meta, requesting a meeting to discuss account recovery, with Trump later telling Fox News Digital: “they need us more than they need us.”
Nick Clegg, Meta’s president of global affairs, said on Wednesday that the former president will now face “higher penalties for repeat offenders.”
“If Mr Trump posts more offending content, that content will be removed and he will be suspended for between a month and two years, depending on the severity of the offence,” Clegg said.
Twitter, which also deleted Trump’s account after the January 6 riots, has restored the former president’s access after Elon Musk took over the company.
Trump has not tweeted so far, and has not posted on Facebook or Instagram.
He still chose to weigh in on Meta’s announcement via Truth Social.
“Such things will never happen again to a sitting President, or anyone who doesn’t deserve to be punished!” said.
Schiff is a member of the House select committee investigating Jan. 6, which voted unanimously to refer four criminal charges against Trump to the Justice Department last month.