Trump asks court to force Twitter to reinstate his account

Former president Donald Trump has asked a court to mandate that Twitter restore his social media account in a Florida court filing made late Friday.

In the court document, Trump asked a District Court judge for the Southern District of Florida for a preliminary injunction enabling his online return, while his lawsuit against the social media giant continues.

“Plaintiff Donald J. Trump respectfully moves for a preliminary injunction directing, inter alia, Defendant Twitter, Inc. and all persons acting in concert with Defendant, to reinstate Plaintiff’s access to Defendant’s social media platform(s),” the filing said.

It argued that Twitter was “censoring” Trump by indefinitely banning him from the platform, adding that the company “exercises a degree of power and control over political discourse in this country that is immeasurable, historically unprecedented, and profoundly dangerous to open democratic debate.”

The filing also argued that the social media giant had suspended Trump’s account after being “coerced” by his political rivals in Congress.

Twitter banned Trump from its platform on Jan. 8, stating that two of his tweets violated their policies, and cited “the risk of further incitement of violence.” The unprecedented move came after the riot on Jan. 6 that saw hundreds of his supporters storm the Capitol, in an attack that resulted in five deaths, and some 140 police officers being injured.

Trump’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment by The Washington Post early Saturday. Twitter declined to comment.

Trump’s account had 88 million followers and became a key communication tool during his presidency. Though Trump remains free to speak to the press or make public remarks, his ability to attract attention and media coverage has diminished dramatically following the ban.

In July, Trump sued Twitter, Facebook and Alphabet Inc’s Google, as well as their chief executives, alleging they unlawfully silenced conservative viewpoints and violated his First Amendment rights by suspending his accounts. Legal experts and business associations predicted the lawsuits would have little chance of succeeding in court, given that the First Amendment protects people from censorship by the U.S. government, not private companies.