Twitter labels Trump tweet as ‘glorifying violence’

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Twitter Inc. on Friday labeled a tweet of President Donald Trump’s as having “glorified violence,” just hours after he signed an executive order threatening to strip the company of protections against liability.

The offending tweet by Trump came in his reaction to the riots in Minneapolis. He employed a quote from a former Miami police chief who said, “When the looting starts, the shooting starts.”

Related: ‘When the looting starts, the shooting starts’: Trump threatens to call military into Minneapolis

The full tweet read: “These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I won’t let that happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!”

What Twitter users see when they click on President Trump’s tweet about the rioting in Minneapolis.

When users click on the tweet, it now reads: “This Tweet violated the Twitter Rules about glorifying violence. However, Twitter has determined that it may be in the public’s interest for the Tweet to remain accessible.”

It’s the first tweet of Trump’s to be masked when users click on it.

Twitter said the move was “in the interest of preventing others from being inspired to commit violent acts.”