Schiff: Trump Is ‘Pathologically’ Continuing to ‘Endanger Our Democracy’

House Intelligence Committee chairman Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) said Wednesday on MSNBC’s “Andrea Mitchell Reports” that Facebook upheld its ban on former President Donald Trump because he was “pathologically” continuing to “endanger our democracy.”

Mitchell said, “I want to ask you about the decision by Facebook this morning. The oversight board acknowledging that Donald Trump created an environment it called a serious risk of violence on January 6 with his posts. They opposed an indefinite suspension of his accounts. The former president issued a statement in response saying that free speech was taken away from the president of the United States because of what he called the radical left lunatics are afraid of the truth. Is Facebook violating Donald Trump’s constitutional right to free speech?”

Schiff said, “No. The First Amendment protects Donald Trump and every American from the government regulating speech. It doesn’t say that private companies need to use their platforms to air patent falsehoods that endanger the country that incite insurrection. So no, I think Facebook is trying to have a consistent policy. At least its oversight board is trying to make sure that it is consistent in how it treats people.”

He added, “The President here is continuing to go out and push the big lie about the election, continuing, I think, to endanger our democracy by doing that. So he continues to make the case that he would violate the policies if they readmitted him. And I think frankly, pathologically, he is incapable of changing. So this is a temporary ban. It will likely be, if we are fortunate, a permanent ban because the president will not stop the lies about the last election or lies about the next one. He will incite people if that’s what’s necessary to suit his narrow personal interests. And that should violate any good corporate citizen’s policies.”

Follow Pam Key on Twitter @pamkeyNEN

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