Conservative Twitter users and Republican politicians slammed Twitter after the social media platform suspended a popular account that pointed out examples of hypocrisy from prominent politicians and political activists.
The account, “Defiant L’s,” posted side-by-side screenshots of tweets from prominent politicians showing them taking two different sides of a single issue. The account was suspended Tuesday for allegedly violating Twitter’s rules against “ban evasion,” or opening a second account after being permanently suspended from Twitter. At the time of the suspension, the account had more than 350,000 followers.
Twitter users were divided over which of the account’s recent tweets was the impetus for the suspension. Several Twitter users pointed to one picture, showing a tweet from Hillary Clinton saying, “[c]omputer scientists have apparently uncovered a covert server linking the Trump organization to a Russian-based bank,” against a tweet from the New York Post about the bombshell report from special counsel John Durham, which alleged that the Clinton campaign paid a technology company to “infiltrate” servers in Trump Tower and the White House in order to establish a “narrative” linking former President Donald Trump to Russia.
This is the tweet that got @DefiantLs Epstein’d pic.twitter.com/J7nqPtReey
— Benny (@bennyjohnson) February 16, 2022
Others pointed to another tweet comparing a headline in the Louisville Courier-Journal written by alleged shooter Quintez Brown against Kentucky’s concealed carry laws, with a Monday headline naming Brown as the suspect in the attempted shooting of Louisville mayoral candidate Craig Greenberg.
The “Defiant L’s” account may be history, but if so then let it at least be said that they went out like absolute kings this morning. pic.twitter.com/Fmo3nxNuPw
— Jeff B. is *BOX OFFICE POISON* (@EsotericCD) February 16, 2022
Podcaster and human trafficking survivor-advocate Eliza Bleu tweeted a message from the owner of the Defiant L’s account. “So [Tuesday] my account @DefiantLs was suspended. The word currently is ‘ban evasion’ though I’ve never had an account suspended so I’ve never had a ban to evade. Regardless, I’ve appealed the suspension and will keep everyone updated. Until then, I can be found on Instagram at @defiant.ls and also on [Twitter alternative] GETTR at @defiantls. Thanks for all the support and kind words. I hope to chat with you all again soon.”
Breaking: A message from Defiant L’s who’s account on Twitter was suspended. pic.twitter.com/37enaIJSjM
— Eliza (@elizableu) February 16, 2022
Conservative Twitter users slammed the social media platform for the move.
“So @DefiantLs made the crucial error of screenshotting tweets people on the Left didn’t like — and then got suspended for that,” Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro tweeted. “Sounds legit.”
So @DefiantLs made the crucial error of screenshotting tweets people on the Left didn’t like — and then got suspended for that. Sounds legit.
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) February 16, 2022
“Those libs sure are defiant about their Ls,” Michael Knowles, host of “The Michael Knowles Show” at The Daily Wire, wrote on Twitter.
Those libs sure are defiant about their Ls.
— Michael Knowles (@michaeljknowles) February 16, 2022
“Is pointing out liberal hypocrisy a violation of @twitter rules? Well [let’s] find out,” wrote Florida Republican Senator Marco Rubio, including a copy of Defiant L’s tweet about Quintez Brown.
Is pointing out liberal hypocrisy a violation of @twitter rules?
Well lets find out #DefiantLs @DefiantLs pic.twitter.com/KljHyujfHs
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) February 16, 2022
“Twitter suspending Defiant L’s is the most defiant L of all,” said Republican California Congressman Darrell Issa.
Twitter suspending Defiant L’s is the most defiant L of all.
— Rep. Darrell Issa (@repdarrellissa) February 16, 2022
“The highly popular, well-researched and entertaining @DefiantLs Twitter account never did anything — literally — but juxtapose a person’s past tweet to their current one in order to show hypocrisy,” independent journalist Glenn Greenwald tweeted. “But since most of its targets were liberals, Twitter just banned the account.”
The highly popular, well-researched and entertaining @DefiantLs Twitter account never did anything — literally — but juxtapose a person’s past tweet to their current one in order to show hypocrisy. But since most of its targets were liberals, Twitter just banned the account. https://t.co/S7JCLJMfzl
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) February 16, 2022
“Here’s Defiant L’s last tweet before having the account with 350K followers blown up. Big tech is playing wack-a-mole for now, but when the time comes mass bannings and more mainstream accounts will go,” wrote Dave Rubin, host of the “Rubin Report” and founder of alternative social media platform Locals.
Here’s Defiant L’s last tweet before having the account with 350K followers blown up.
Big tech is playing wack-a-mole for now, but when the time comes mass bannings and more mainstream accounts will go.
You can always stay in touch with me be joining https://t.co/gs1j9aPe0E. pic.twitter.com/XpqJWt1O6i
— Dave Rubin (@RubinReport) February 16, 2022
A number of other responses can be found below:
Utterly ridiculous. https://t.co/D9CqvSBS00
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) February 16, 2022
What could @DefiantLs have possibly tweeted to warrant their accounts being suspended? Don’t they simply post montages of other peoples tweets, comparing past tweets to present tweets? @Twitter @twittersupport pic.twitter.com/e15p5hMaie
— Viva Frei (@thevivafrei) February 16, 2022
Twitter shutting down @DefiantLs account which does nothing more than highlight leftist hypocrisy in their own words and with their own tweets is a new low even for them. They didn’t shut down the accounts putting out the leftist hate/hypocrisy just the one highlighting it. 🙄
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) February 16, 2022
So let me get this straight… @DefiantLs merely posted screenshots — SCREENSHOTS — of liberal hypocrisy on Twitter (their own words!), and he is suspended from Twitter.
What is going on @Twitter?
— Kayleigh McEnany (@kayleighmcenany) February 16, 2022
Twitter has suspended the @DefiantLs account which exists merely to illustrate liberal hypocrisy on @twitter. This is beyond absurd. pic.twitter.com/AQyX0eZ95g
— Clay Travis (@ClayTravis) February 16, 2022
So Twitter suspended @DefiantLs for posting nothing but screenshots of public account’s actual tweets.
— Dana Loesch (@DLoesch) February 16, 2022
As of the publishing of this article, the account has been restored, and has grown its follower account to nearly 428,000 followers.
IM. BACK. pic.twitter.com/drII9lTcLA
— Defiant L’s (@DefiantLs) February 16, 2022
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