| It's a false equivalence. Here's the AOC quote being referenced: > "The whole point of protesting is to make ppl uncomfortable. Activists take that discomfort w/ the status quo & advocate for concrete policy changes. Popular support often starts small & grows. To folks who complain protest demands make others uncomfortable… that’s the point." Where in this statement is there any incitement for rioting or violence? Now let's take a look at Trump's actions on Wednesday[1]: > "You don't concede when there's theft involved. Our country has had enough and we will not take it any more" > "And we fight. We fight like hell and if you don't fight like hell, you're not going to have a country anymore." This is how Trump described the rioters: > "These are the things that happen when a sacred landslide election victory is so unceremoniously & viciously stripped away from great patriots who have been badly & unfairly treated for so long." Contrast this with Pence's response: > "This attack on our Capitol will not be tolerated and those involved will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law" [1] https://www.businessinsider.com/how-trump-in-final-weeks-inc... |
This is a thinly-veiled statement in support of protesters engaging in criminal activity to get their way politically. That is the dictionary definition of terrorism (which the capitol incident also qualifies for). I agree it isn't explicit in stating that. But Trump's statement doesn't explicitly call for criminal activity either.
His statements are not asking for violence but asking to challenge the results and fight for what you want politically. That's what every side does in every political confrontation. You COULD also read it as a thinly-veiled statement pushing for violence. But it is entirely subjective to label one that way but not the other. And therefore, big tech companies should hold BOTH AOC and Trump to the same exact standard, or neither.
All that aside, I agree Pence's statement is better and wish Trump was more forceful in condemning these acts and left the "explanations" out.