Jared Kushner Reportedly Stopped Donald Trump From Joining Parler After Twitter Ban

Donald Trump was banned from Twitter — as well as many other social media sites — following the Capitol riots on Jan. 6., and it is now reported that his son-in-law Jared Kushner stopped him from joining Parler afterward. According to CNN, Kushner and White House DeputyChief of Staff Dan Scavino are said to have talked the president out of joining the relatively new social media site, as it has been mired in its own controversies. Notably, the outlet also reports that other aides, including personnel chief Johnny McEntee, went the opposite direction, and encouraged Trump to join the app.

Parler has widely attracted right-wing users, as it boasts a space for them to have the free speech they feel they are denied by other sites, such as Twitter or Facebook. In the days after the pro-Trump mob of insurrectionists stormed the Capitol building, Parler found itself getting banned as well, with Apple, Google and Amazon all removing it from their respective app stores. The companies cited Parler’s failure, or refusal, to take action against hate-speech among its users, many of whom used the app prior to the violent siege on the Capitol building. The Big Tech companies have expressed concern that, if Parler does not do more to diffuse hate-filled rhetoric, another domestic terror attack could take place.

In the wake of the Capitol riot, Trump has been impeached by the House of Representatives. This is the second time, making him the only U.S. President to be impeached twice. In a speech delivered on the House floor, Speaker Nancy Pelosi said, “We know that we face enemies of the Constitution. We know we experienced the insurrection that violated the sanctity of the people’s Capitol and attempted to overturn the duly recorded will of the American people. And we know that the President of the United States incited this insurrection, this armed rebellion, against our common country.”

She added, “He must go. He is a clear and present danger to the nation that we all love. Since the presidential election in November – an election the President lost – he has repeatedly held about – lied about the outcome, sowed self-serving doubt about democracy and unconstitutionally sought to influence state officials to repeal reality. And, then, came that day of fire we all experienced. The President must be impeached, and, I believe, the President must be convicted by the Senate, a constitutional remedy that will ensure that the republic will be safe from this man who is so resolutely determined to tear down the things that we hold dear and that hold us together.”