Donald Trump Jr.’s Twitter account was locked down Tuesday after he shared a discredited Breitbart News video that showed people billed as “America’s Frontline Doctors” dismissing face masks and praising the drug hydroxychloroquine as a “cure” for the coronavirus.
A Twitter spokesperson wrote a statement on the microblogging platform: “This account has not been permanently suspended. Per the screenshot, the Tweet requires deletion because it violates our rules (sharing misinformation on COVID-19), and the account will have limited functionality for 12 hours.”
The screenshot of the lockdown notice referenced in the statement was posted by Republican strategist Andrew Surabian on Tuesday. Donald Trump Jr., the eldest son of the president, can’t tweet or retweet anything during the 12-hour suspension, nor can he like tweets. He can still use his direct messaging function.
“BREAKING: @Twitter & @jack have suspended @DonaldJTrumpJr for posting a viral video of medical doctors talking about Hydroxychloroquine. Big Tech is the biggest threat to free expression in America today & they’re continuing to engage in open election interference – full stop,” Surabian wrote.
Twitter, Facebook and YouTube pulled the video from their platforms Monday night, leading Breitbart to trend. The clip showed a press conference for “America’s Frontline Doctors,” who shared opinions contrary to the guidance of the administration’s agencies and experts.