Twitter Temporarily Suspends Donald Trump Jr.’s Account

Twitter has temporarily limited Donald Trump Jr.‘s account for sharing a video that seems to have violated the company’s policy on posting content containing misinformation on coronavirus. According to CNN, a spokesperson for Twitter stated that Trump Jr. is under a “lockout,” and that his account will have limited functionality for a period of 12 hours. The company has also asked him to remove the video from his timeline.

Additional reporting from Forbes cited that the video Trump Jr. shared was in part about antimalarial hydroxychloroquine. This is a drug that many, including Trump Jr.’s father, have touted as a treatment for COVID-19. CBS News reporter Nicole Sganga reports that the video specifically mentioned “the suppression of hydroxychloroquine by Dr. Fauci.” She also stated that sources have told her that President Donald Trump’s campaign has “reached out to Twitter directly to challenge the move.” At this time, it does not appear that Trump Jr. or the Trump administration or campaign have issued comments on the Twitter suspension.

Notably, Dr. Fauci is not the only one who has expressed opposition to hydroxychloroquine as a miracle cure for coronavirus, as the FDA issued a statement on June 15 announcing that it has revoked authorization for the emergency use of chloroquine and hydroxychloroquine. “Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) revoked the emergency use authorization (EUA) that allowed for chloroquine phosphate and hydroxychloroquine sulfate donated to the Strategic National Stockpile to be used to treat certain hospitalized patients with COVID-19 when a clinical trial was unavailable, or participation in a clinical trial was not feasible,” the FDA wrote. “The agency determined that the legal criteria for issuing an EUA are no longer met.”

“We’ve made clear throughout the public health emergency that our actions will be guided by science and that our decisions may evolve as we learn more about the SARS-CoV-2 virus, review the latest data, and consider the balance of risks versus benefits of treatments for COVID-19,” said FDA Deputy Commissioner for Medical and Scientific Affairs Anand Shah, M.D. “The FDA always underpins its decision-making with the most trustworthy, high-quality, up-to-date evidence available. We will continue to examine all of the emergency use authorizations the FDA has issued and make changes, as appropriate, based on emerging evidence.”