# Twitter finally locks Trump out **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 7, 2021, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twitter-finally-locks-trump-out/929866 "2021-01-07T00:43:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Chad\_Sudan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chad_sudan/32/4509_2.png) [@Chad\_Sudan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chad_Sudan)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2021, 12:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twitter-finally-locks-trump-out/929866/81 "2021-01-09T12:29:22Z")
I like the thought of ex-president Trump communicating with his followers through the PennySaver. ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2021, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twitter-finally-locks-trump-out/929866/82 "2021-01-09T12:40:46Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > So apparently Trump has gone apoplectic since being banned from Twitter. This all sort of confirms 2 suspicions I’ve had (which anyone could have guessed). 1. Most of Trump’s decision-making and ideas are driven by Twitter - not necessarily by reading the comments, but by analytics feedback of his and other accounts. 2. That same Twitter feedback is also his narcissistic supply. Narcissists are absolutely empty inside, and can only be filled by adoration from others. He’s sure not getting it from Pence or Melania or anybody else right now. He literally only had 2 eggs, he put both eggs in the basket, and he dropped it on the ground and stomped it. Now he’s utterly lost. It needs to be clear that he hasn’t been silenced, either. His house has a press room where he could instantly convene a bunch of sycophantic journalists who would broadcast him verbatim for an hour without cutting away. He has bigger platforms than you or I can ever dream of. But he only wants the one that lets him hide in the shadows yet collect that sweet sweet fan mail. Sad! ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2021, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twitter-finally-locks-trump-out/929866/83 "2021-01-09T12:47:59Z")
> [@lissener](#): > > Wasn’t it illegal for him to delete his tweets, because technically it’s considered destruction of presidential documents? No. The ruling was that he can’t block anyone from following him. [(cite)](https://www.npr.org/2019/07/09/739906562/u-s-appeals-court-rules-trump-violated-first-amendment-by-blocking-twitter-follo) For the folks wringing their hands over how we’ll ever access this trove of Presidential insight ever again, be advised they are preserved by many Twitter mirror accounts and offsite services that archive all his tweets (some of which include, or only publish, his deleted tweets). Here is one Trump Twitter archive which is named [Trump Twitter Archive](http://www.trumptwitterarchive.com/archive) Arguably more interesting, here is an archive of only [tweets that Trump has deleted](https://factba.se/topic/deleted-tweets). (You know it’s good stuff if somebody made Trump take it down.) The internet is forever, kids. Tweet responsibly. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2021, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twitter-finally-locks-trump-out/929866/84 "2021-01-09T13:14:14Z")
In one of his now-removed messages, Donnie speculated about “creating our own platform” or something like that. I started thinking about what that new twitter-clone should be called… how about “shitter”? But what would the appropriate accompanying nouns and verbs be? Twitter —\> Shitter tweeted—\> shat? shitted? A tweet—\> a shit? a turd? Use in a sentence: “This morning on Shitter, Donnie shat a pile of turds in support of his followers and encouraged them to _(I dunno…)_ burn down the Washington Monument. He received many shits/turds of agreement that the Washington Monument needs to go!” Promising but needs fine-tuning. ---
**Author:** ![puzzlegal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/puzzlegal/32/3827_2.png) [@puzzlegal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/puzzlegal)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2021, 1:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twitter-finally-locks-trump-out/929866/85 "2021-01-09T13:20:09Z")
> [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > His house has a press room where he could instantly convene a bunch of sycophantic journalists who would broadcast him verbatim for an hour without cutting away. He has bigger platforms than you or I can ever dream of. But he only wants the one that lets him hide in the shadows yet collect that sweet sweet fan mail. Yes, i was wondering why he was so upset. It’s not hard for the president to get an audience. Thank you for explaining it. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2021, 1:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twitter-finally-locks-trump-out/929866/86 "2021-01-09T13:26:12Z")
> [@glowacks](#): > > They should have shadow-banned him. That is, let him think they hadn’t done anything to his account, while not letting anyone other than himself see any of his tweets. Donnie goes to Coventry? ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2021, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twitter-finally-locks-trump-out/929866/87 "2021-01-09T13:51:15Z")
> [@puzzlegal](#): > > Yes, i was wondering why he was so upset. It’s not hard for the president to get an audience. Journalists–even ones sympathetic to Trump–ask annoying questions and generally interrupt the stream-of-what-passes-for-consciosness flow of his rants. This is why he prefers to communicate via rallies, Twitter, and _Fox & Friends_, who permit him to go on for tens of minutes without interruption while they sit uncomfortably trying not to look at each other or the camera. Trump’s only interest in other people is how they respond to and flatter him, and even friendly journalists asking questions have an agenda of actually wanting some information that he doesn’t know, is reluctant to divulge, or cannot even parse with his surprisingly rudimentary grasp of the language. Most presidents–even inept ones–are able to use the news media as a suitably pliant conduit to get their message out or float ideas theough direct pressers, informal conversations, “off the record” quotes by “unnamed White House sources”, and deliberate “leaks” of ostensibly unofficial information. This is because they plan out what information they want to release to sway public opinion and interest in _Wag The Dog_ style using political strategists and a team of people trained and experienced in communication. Trump, by contrast, has employed boobs like Sean Spicer (remember him? #LetHimMisspeak), abrasively manipulative creatures like Kellyanne Conway, and vacuously attractive women like Kayleigh McEnany and his own daughter (Ivanka, not the not-appearing-in-this-picture Tiffany) to convey what passes for his seemingly random and disjointed policies and thoughts. Twitter was perfect for him–as it is for many celebrities, influencers, and Elon Musk–because it is short bursts of unfiltered thought-garbage that can easily be repeated by sycophants like the mind-virus it is without having to directly interact or respond to anyone, and the more outrageous it is the faster it is circulated by enablers and adversaries alike. Now that he doesn’t have this medium, there are barriers to holding his rallies, and _Fox & Friends_ are dodging his calls like he’s a proverbial crazy ex-girlfriend (“He’s so broken inside!”) he’d going to have to find some new platform; maybe MySpace or 4Chan or the comments section on [Youtube.com](http://Youtube.com). Stranger ---
**Author:** ![MikeF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2021, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twitter-finally-locks-trump-out/929866/88 "2021-01-09T14:23:13Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > President Donald Trump has many prized possessions. But few seemed to inspire as much personal joy as his Twitter feed. Trump routinely boasted of the social media bullhorn he possessed. He credited it with launching his political trajectory. And he used it as a tool to lacerate his foes. > > On Friday night, he lost it. And, then, he lost his mind. I’m pretty sure that last line has events out of chronological order. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2021, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twitter-finally-locks-trump-out/929866/89 "2021-01-09T14:30:47Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > The official said Trump was “scrambling to figure out what his options are.” Clearly Trump isn’t a doper, or he would know exactly what to do: register a new account on Twitter under a new name, introduce himself as a “long time lurker”, then go right back to posting exactly the same things as before. ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2021, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twitter-finally-locks-trump-out/929866/90 "2021-01-09T14:33:42Z")
It’s an awesome world where an elected politician is blocked by a bunch of unelected billionaires oligarchs…and decent men side with the oligarchs. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2021, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twitter-finally-locks-trump-out/929866/91 "2021-01-09T14:37:46Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > It’s an awesome world where an elected politician is blocked by a bunch of unelected billionaires oligarchs…and decent men side with the oligarchs It’s a terrifying world where an elected politician uses his platform to incite insurrection and attempt to overthrow democracy… and 74 million side with the wanna-be tyrant. ---
**Author:** ![BobLibDem](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/boblibdem/32/3149_2.png) [@BobLibDem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobLibDem)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2021, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twitter-finally-locks-trump-out/929866/92 "2021-01-09T14:38:31Z")
> [@Marvin\_the\_Martian](#): > > He has other ways of making headlines. How about “Trump Hangs Himself from White House Balcony”? And before jumping, shouts “Damien! This is all for you!” ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2021, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twitter-finally-locks-trump-out/929866/93 "2021-01-09T14:43:38Z")
Rosebud! ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2021, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twitter-finally-locks-trump-out/929866/94 "2021-01-09T15:01:23Z")
The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the one! ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2021, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twitter-finally-locks-trump-out/929866/95 "2021-01-09T17:14:40Z")
Without his ability to Twitter bully, will testicles begin to grow where there were no testicles before? ---
**Author:** ![Alpha\_Twit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alpha_twit/32/265_2.png) [@Alpha\_Twit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alpha_Twit)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2021, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twitter-finally-locks-trump-out/929866/96 "2021-01-09T17:22:37Z")
I’m not gonna check. ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2021, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twitter-finally-locks-trump-out/929866/97 "2021-01-09T17:35:46Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > Twitter was perfect for him–as it is for many celebrities, influencers, and Elon Musk–because it is short bursts of unfiltered thought-garbage that can easily be repeated by sycophants like the mind-virus it is without having to directly interact or respond to anyone, and the more outrageous it is the faster it is circulated by enablers and adversaries alike. This is a perfect description. ---
**Author:** ![Riemann](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/riemann/32/3133_2.png) [@Riemann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Riemann)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2021, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twitter-finally-locks-trump-out/929866/98 "2021-01-09T18:02:48Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > It’s an awesome world where an elected politician is blocked by a bunch of unelected billionaires oligarchs…and decent men side with the oligarchs. If the alternative is the Republican Party backed by 74 million brainwashed cult members, I’ll settle for a country run by Google. They make a far more convincing effort at _trying_ not to be evil. If democracy isn’t working, maybe it’s time to let the A.I.'s take over. As I said in another thread, we always imagined that the singularity would take place through an exponential increase in artificial intelligence. We never imagined the alternative path, that the singularity might occur with A.I. standing still and humans getting steadily dumber. ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2021, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twitter-finally-locks-trump-out/929866/99 "2021-01-09T18:12:13Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > It’s an awesome world where an elected politician is blocked by a bunch of unelected billionaires oligarchs…and decent men side with the oligarchs. Do you remember a time when you could count on the president to participate in the peaceful transition of power rather than inciting an insurrection to thwart the will of the American voter? Pepperidge Farm remembers. ---
**Author:** ![asahi](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asahi/32/8693_2.png) [@asahi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asahi)\ **Post date:** [January 9, 2021, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twitter-finally-locks-trump-out/929866/100 "2021-01-09T18:20:51Z")
Past time to end his twitter account; it’s also past time to set up federal regulatory standards for social media. The Republic will not survive if we don’t begin setting up some standards that require social media to take a more active role in policing themselves. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twitter-finally-locks-trump-out/929866.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/twitter-finally-locks-trump-out/929866.md?page=6)