The most loyal supporters of outgoing US President Trump are leaving Twitter en masse after the social media platform blocked the president’s account forever. “Goodbye Twitter” was trending during the morning on Saturday, as Trump fans were displeased by the company’s decision, dubbing it an attack on free speech.
Many of those unhappy with the ban claimed they are going to use Parler instead – it is a commonly dubbed “free speech" app popular with Trump supporters.
“I will not associate myself with a communication platform that decides I can’t make my own decisions,” one user wrote, urging the company to unblock Trump.
Another user said that while he was okay with Twitter banning the president’s personal account, it was not right to censor the official one, @POTUS, which was temporarily blocked shortly after Trump began tweeting from it.
Some did not miss the opportunity to reflect on the US’ values and future regarding the situation.
Twitter had been the main means of communication between Trump and his supporters, with nearly 90 million people following the president. After his ban, the company’s shares were down almost 4% in after-hours trading. Earlier this week, Mark Zuckerberg announced that POTUS’ Facebook and Instagram accounts will also be blocked for at least two weeks – until his presidential term is over.