The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) proclaimed its support for former President Donald Trump’s return to Facebook, saying the public has a “strong interest” in hearing his speech.
Meta, Facebook’s parent company, unbanned Trump from the social media platform Wednesday after imposing a two-year ban following his posts relating to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. The ban was supposed to be lifted on Jan. 7, but Meta took weeks to determine the new parameters on his account. (RELATED: Facebook To Unban Trump)
“This is the right call. Like it or not, President Trump is one of the country’s leading political figures and the public has a strong interest in hearing his speech,” the ACLU tweeted on Wednesday.
This is the right call. Like it or not, President Trump is one of the country’s leading political figures and the public has a strong interest in hearing his speech. https://t.co/PbY8AevFDy
— ACLU (@ACLU) January 26, 2023
The ACLU filed over 400 legal actions against Trump during his presidency. Following Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign announcement, the organization stated it will be ready to submit more legal actions against him in his second term.
“Trump appointees on the federal bench have done their best to gut abortion rights, limit voting rights, and strip immigrants and LGBTQ individuals of their basic rights. Even as we are engaged in those battles today at all levels of government, the ACLU will be battle-ready for a second Trump administration. If Donald Trump believes that a second term would allow him to continue with the unconstitutional and un-American policies of his first term, the ACLU will be ready to fight back at every turn,” the ACLU stated.
Trump’s account, although restored, is subject to Facebook’s rules, and his posts and ads could be restricted upon violations.
“We just do not want — if he is to return to our services — for him to do what he did on January 6, which is to use our services to delegitimize the 2024 election, much as he sought to discredit the 2020 election,” Meta President of Global Affairs Nick Clegg, told Axios.
Although his account is now restored, Trump is not likely to post on the platform, given his existing contract with Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), the company that owns Truth Social.