We’ll let Trump post videos again, says Youtube boss

DONALD TRUMP will be allowed to return to Youtube and post videos again once the risk of political violence in the US subsides, the company said last night.

Susan Wojcicki, Youtube’s chief executive, confirmed yesterday the former president would be given a second chance to follow its rules, though she did not say when.

The Google-owned streaming service had previously given no indication whether it would ever lift Mr Trump’s indefinite ban, imposed in the wake of the rioting at the US Capitol in January.

Ms Wojcicki’s statement sets Youtube firmly against rivals such as Twitter, which has vowed never to allow Mr Trump back even if he runs for office again, and Facebook, which has referred the case to be decided by its independent oversight board.

It came as US officials yesterday once again put the Capitol on high alert due to warnings from the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security that members of the Qanon movement might be plotting an attack.

The Capitol grounds were ringed with boosted security and defended by armed police officers, National Guard troops and bomb-sniffing dogs, while the House of Representatives cancelled its session and told staff to stay away.

Ms Wojcicki said: “Given the warnings by the Capitol Police about a potential attack, I think it’s pretty clear that elevated violence risk still remains.

“However, I do want to confirm that we will lift the suspension of the Donald

Trump channel – when we determine that the risk of violence has decreased. When the channel is reinstated, it will be subject to the same policies that every other channel follows.”

Having access to Youtube again could transform Mr Trump’s chances of a political revival, allowing him to address his followers directly in a way he has struggled to do since his mass deplatforming in January.

But it could also allow him to resume pumping out misinformation, conspiracy theories and violent rhetoric to his supporters, who polls suggest largely still believe the election was stolen.

Ms Wojcicki aimed veiled criticism at Facebook and Twitter for their policy of exempting political leaders from some of their rules, with posts that would normally be removed only being labelled as they were deemed “newsworthy” or in the “public interest”.

“[Our] policies apply to all global leaders consistently. There are no exceptions,” she said.

The FBI warned in late February that some militant groups “discussed plans to take control of the US Capitol and remove Democratic lawmakers on or about March 4”. On Wednesday there was no sign of protesters outside the high fences topped by razor wire that now surround the Capitol. ♦h♦ndreds of unaccompanied migrant children are crossing into America every day, stretching border facilities to breaking point, leaked government documents show. More than 300 a day are now making the crossing, compared with 47 before Joe Biden’s inauguration in January.