Greene’s Twitter suspended
Lawmaker breaking covid misinformation rule, firm says
Twitter suspended Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., again Monday after she falsely tweeted that vaccines are failing. The seven-day suspension is the latest rebuke from the platform over a post about coronavirus misinformation — something that violates the social media company’s policies.
Greene claimed that the vaccines don’t work because some people have still contracted the coronavirus despite being vaccinated, and she said the Food and Drug Administration should not fully authorize them. The vaccines have been approved for emergency use and have been taken by more than 166 million people — more than half of the population.
“These vaccines are failing and do not reduce the spread of the virus and neither do masks,” she tweeted Tuesday. “There are too many reports of infection and spread of COVID-19 among vaccinated people.”
Monday, she tweeted that the vaccines should not be fully approved or mandated.
“Many people’s personal testimonies are saying they are still getting sick with COVID and vaccinated people are spreading it,” she tweeted. “It should NOT be approved or mandated.”
While no vaccine is 100% effective, states have reported that the overwhelming majority of those vaccinated have not been infected with covid and that for the small percentage who have, very few have been hospitalized. The majority of Americans currently being hospitalized and dying because of covid-19 are unvaccinated.
Twitter flagged Greene’s comment with a disclaimer letting viewers know that it is misleading and prevented other users from engaging with her tweet.
Greene released a statement after her suspension saying that she’s criticized vaccinations because she has repeatedly heard from people who have gotten sick despite being vaccinated — something that medical professionals acknowledge is possible.
“In my opinion, the FDA should not approve these vaccines until more research is done,” she said. “But Twitter suspended me for speaking the truth, and tweeting what so many people are saying.”
Twitter temporarily suspended Greene last month after she falsely claimed that covid-19 was “not dangerous” for some people, which is violation of the company’s misinformation policy. The lawmaker made that post within days of a 5-year-old’s death from the coronavirus in her own congressional district.