Trump Holds Defense Bill Hostage To Force Section 230 Repeal

Repeal Section 230 or prepare for a veto on the National Defense Authorization Act, outgoing President Donald Trump warned Congress in a series of tweets.

What Happened: Trump took potshots at social media companies again late Tuesday and wants their "liability shield" repealed. In a tweet from his personal account, Trump threatened Congress that he would veto the defense bill if Section 230 is not "completely terminated."

Section 230, which is a liability shielding gift from the U.S. to "Big Tech" (the only companies in America that have it - corporate welfare!), is a serious threat to our National Security & Election Integrity. Our Country can never be safe & secure if we allow it to stand.....

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 2, 2020

Trump called Section 230, "a serious threat to our National Security & Election Integrity." In October, the president signed an executive order directing branch agencies to study whether they can place new regulations on the companies.

Why It Matters: Trump has accused social media companies of being biased towards conservative voices.

Twitter Inc TWTR has repeatedly labeled Trump's tweets that allege voter fraud without evidence. Facebook, Inc FB and Twitter CEOs have defended their actions twice before a Senate panel.

Repealing Section 230 will open legal challenges for social media companies and could severely dent revenue for them.

Trump's latest threat presents another roadblock in the passage of the annual defense policy measure, held up in Congress by a spat over military bases named for Confederate officers.

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