Users of Truth Social — former President Donald Trump's ostensibly free speech-oriented social media platform — are claiming that they've been banned for posting about the Capitol riot committee hearings.
One of those users, political commentator Travis Allen, posted a screenshot of his Truth Social page to Twitter, showing that he had been "permanently suspended" after discussing the January 6 committee on the platform.
"My Truth Social account was just permanently suspended for talking about the January 6th Committee hearings," he wrote, along with the screenshot. "So much for 'free speech.' This is censorship!” he wrote.
Truth Social is a private company and can enforce its rules how it sees fit so long as it does not violate state or federal laws, and a ban does not constitute censorship as Truth Social is not a government. Mr Allen's claim of censorship is almost certainly mocking similar sentiments issued by right-wing users — and, in some cases, lawmakers — who claim that Twitter and Facebook enforcing their terms of service is an act of censorship.
Mr Allen was not the only one to face a ban for discussing the January 6 committee hearings on Truth Social. Another user, Jack Cocchiarella, also claimed to have had his account suspended.
"I was suspended from Truth Social for posting about the January 6th hearing last night," he wrote. "Donald Trump is scared of free speech."
Variety reported on the banning claims, noting the irony that the so-called "free speech" social media platform was blacklisting discussion of an issue damning to Mr Trump.
The January 6 committee hearings have thus far centred on Mr Trump and his actions leading up to, during, and in the immediate aftermath of the Capitol riot. The committee aired interviews with both former Attorney General Bill Barr and Mr Trump's daughter, Ivanka, who both affirmed that they believed Mr Trump lost the election and told him as much.
The committee also found that Mr Trump transferred funds he claimed would be used to fight "voter fraud" back into his PACs.
“We’ll present evidence that Mr. Trump’s claims of election fraud were false, that he and his closest advisers knew those claims were false but they continued to peddle them anyway right up until the moments before a mob of Trump supporters attacked the Capitol,” Democratic Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren said during the hearings.
Truth Social is not the only instance of conservative-driven media trying to scrub the Capitol riot hearings to fit their narratives; Fox News' Tucker Carlson was roundly criticised for cutting away from the hearing and refusing to show the evidence being presented on screen during his broadcast. Instead, Mr Carlson and guests explained away the hearing as essentially a show trial meant to demonise Mr Trump and his supporters.
