‘Without Twitter Trump wouldn’t have become president’: Sacha Baron Cohen slams the social media giant for allowing the spread of disinformation
- Borat comedian claims Twitter is ‘eroding democracy’ because of disinformation
- Said: ‘There’s so many sources of truth, no one knows what facts are anymore’
- He blamed this for the rise of Trump, who is Twitter’s ‘biggest celebrity endorser’
- ‘They can’t get rid of extreme right Twitter accounts because it might affect some of the Republican base,’ fellow actor Cheadle suggested in the interview
Sacha Baron Cohen has taken a swipe at Twitter, blaming the social media platform for the rise of extreme right wing politics and the election of President Trump.
The comedian, best known for his bumbling character Borat, said the social media platform is ‘eroding democracy’ because disinformation spreads as quickly as the truth.
Discussing the state of politics in a wide ranging interview with fellow actor Don Cheadle for Variety Magazine, the British-born Jewish comic suggested that society might now be in a ‘post-truth age’ where ‘there are so many different sources of truth, that no one knows what facts are anymore.’
Discussing the state of politics in a wide ranging interview with fellow actor Don Cheadle for Variety Magazine, the British-born Jewish comic suggested that society might now be in a ‘post-truth age’ where ‘there are so many different sources of truth, that no one knows what facts are anymore’
He blamed this for the rise of Trump, claiming that ‘it allows people who are spreading lies to actually seem like they are legitimate,’ before adding ‘Trump without Twitter probably would not have become president.’
Cohen, 47, then suggested the reason Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey had face-to-face meeting with the president was because he knew how important Trump’s endorsement of the platform is.
‘They can’t get rid of extreme right Twitter accounts because it might affect some of the Republican base,’ Cheadle suggested, in response to Cohen.
‘What’s fascinating about that is he’s sitting opposite the president,’ Cohen continued. Adding: ‘[Trump’s] actually the biggest celebrity endorser of his corporation.’
If Twitter was to ‘get rid of the racists’ on its platform, said Cohen, ‘they’re going to have less Twitter subscribers.’
Earlier this month, Twitter said it had suspended more than 160,000 accounts in the second half of 2018 for violating its policies related to the promotion of terrorism.
‘They can’t get rid of extreme right Twitter accounts because it might affect some of the Republican base,’ Cheadle suggested, in response to Cohen
Cohen, 47, then suggested the reason Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey had face-to-face meeting with the president was because he knew how important Trump’s endorsement of the platform is
‘It’s OK to not give those people who want to murder people for being different absolute rights,’ the British-born performer says.
‘We’re living in a society now where the space that we grew up in — which is the idea that society is getting better, where black people can get full rights, they can vote, where people are equal despite their differences — that concept is being disintegrated.
‘Democracy is being disintegrated. That’s terrifying to me.’
Before sheepishly adding: ‘I’m going to say all this with the caveat that I’m a comedian, that I don’t really know what I’m talking about. This is just the stuff that’s going on in my head.’