House of Cards creator asks Twitter to remove Trump's account

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Press Trust of India Los Angeles
Last Updated : Mar 05 2017 | 12:48 PM IST
"House of Cards" creator Beau Willimon wants Twitter to delete Donald Trump's account and even shared a 16-point argument as to why the President "should be removed" from the micro-blogging website.
Trump, in a series of tweets, accused his predecessor Barack Obama of "wire tapping" his office in New York just before the 2016 presidential elections and likened the alleged surveillance of his communications to the "Watergate" scandal.
Referring to Trump's posts, Willimon, 39, wrote, "Today's tantrum is just the latest example of why @realDonaldTrump and @POTUS must be removed from @Twitter."
Adding that being the President of the United States comes with "a supreme and unique responsibility unlike any other user" Willimon wrote that Trump's tweets have a "real and significant impact on the business of governance, world affairs and national security."
"President Trump has consistently made misleading claims, attacked the judiciary and threatened sovereign states, the press and public," he continued.
He further said how today's outburst "is broadcasting to foreign leaders his continuing impulsiveness, recklessness, delusion and ignorance about government."
Adding, "That makes Trump's tweets a national security threat. It emboldens our enemies to take advantage of his flagrant shortcomings."
He also pointed out that if people argue that removing his account is "violation of free speech" then consider how "the White House has retaliated against the press by selectively locking them out, called them 'the enemy of the people' and ignored hard questions."
"But with his behavior on this service, Trump makes the argument for himself being a liability to the people," Willimon continued.
"The President is free to say whatever he wants, and has many of ways of doing so, but no private company owes him an outlet. While you cannot prevent the President from saying reckless things elsewhere, Twitter is not obligated to facilitate that here."
Addressing Twitter, he concluded, "In fact, with your worldwide reach and impact on the media, you have a duty to steer clear of accounts facilitating national security threats. Twitter is amazing. It connects the world. That comes with its own responsibility: to do your part in protecting that world.

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First Published: Mar 05 2017 | 12:48 PM IST

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