As the brains behind Netflix‘s House of Cards, Beau Willimon has created one of the most iconic, scheming characters in television history. So he knows a thing or two about bad actors being in the White House (especially ones who have it out for the press).
Over the weekend, in response to Donald Trump’s wiretapping accusations, Willimon took to Twitter to issue a 16-point stance on why the president should be banned from the platform.
1. Today's tantrum is just the latest example of why @realDonaldTrump & @POTUS must be removed from @Twitter. Here's my full argument…
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 4, 2017
2. Only one person on @Twitter is President of the United States. That comes with a supreme and unique responsibility unlike any other user.
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 4, 2017
3. What the President tweets has real and significant impact on the business of governance, world affairs and national security.
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 4, 2017
4. President Trump has consistently made misleading claims, attacked the judiciary and threatened sovereign states, the press & public.
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 4, 2017
5. His tweets recklessly bypass diplomatic channels without consultation from the State Department, IC or the Pentagon.
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 4, 2017
6. Even as a private citizen it is arguable that he has violated Twitter rules regarding violent threats, harassment and hateful conduct.
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 4, 2017
7. Certainly in the unique position of @POTUS the repercussions and intimations his tweets cross these lines.
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 4, 2017
8. Today's outburst is broadcasting to foreign leaders his continuing impulsiveness, recklessness, delusion & ignorance about gov't.
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 4, 2017
9. That makes @RealDonaldTrump's tweets a national security threat. It emboldens our enemies to take advantage of his flagrant shortcomings.
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 4, 2017
10. For those who would argue that the removal of his account is a violation of free speech, consider this…
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 4, 2017
11. The WH has retaliated against the press by selectively locking them out, called them "the enemy of the people" & ignored hard questions.
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 4, 2017
12. But with his behavior on this service, Trump makes the argument for himself being a liability to the people.
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 4, 2017
13. The President is free to say whatever he wants, and has many of ways of doing so, but no private company owes him an outlet.
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 4, 2017
14. While you cannot prevent the President from saying reckless things elsewhere, @Twitter is not obligated to facilitate that here.
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 4, 2017
15. In fact, with your worldwide reach & impact on the media, you have a duty to steer clear of accounts facilitating nat'l security threats
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 4, 2017
16. @Twitter is amazing. It connects the world. That comes with its own responsibility: to do your part in protecting that world.
— Beau Willimon (@BeauWillimon) March 4, 2017
/Thread
Yeah, but then we wouldn’t get to dunk on him all the time, and where would the fun be in that?