President Trump on Monday morning continued his call-out campaign against tech companies, furthering a far-right conspiracy theory that Silicon Valley is out to get conservatives like himself.
During an interview with CNBC on Monday morning, Trump complained about the European Union’s antitrust lawsuits against some of the largest U.S. tech companies like Facebook, before suggesting the U.S. should be doing the same thing. He then claimed that tech companies “discriminate” against him.
“Well I can tell you they discriminate against me,” Trump said. “You know, people talk about collusion. The real collusion is between the Democrats and these companies. ‘Cause they were so against me during my election run. Everybody said, ‘If you don’t have them, you can’t win.’ Well, I won. And I’ll win again.”
Over the weekend, Trump called on Twitter to bring back the “banned Conservative Voices,” likely referencing Twitter’s recent move to kick some conspiracy theorists, like Alex Jones and others espousing racist views, off the platform.
Twitter should let the banned Conservative Voices back onto their platform, without restriction. It’s called Freedom of Speech, remember. You are making a Giant Mistake!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 9, 2019
The conspiracy that social media and tech companies are out to “shadow ban” conservative voices has gained more prominence during the Trump presidency, as Trump himself and his son Donald Trump Jr. have made a strategic effort to raise awareness about the bogus issue.
One of Trump’s most vehement supporters in the House, Rep. Devin Nunes (R-CA), ultimately filed a lawsuit against Twitter to try to legitimize his “shadow banning” theory.
Watch the full interview with CNBC below:
