Democracy Dies in Darkness

Trump threatens to veto major defense bill unless Congress repeals Section 230, a legal shield for tech giants

December 1, 2020 at 11:31 p.m. EST
President Trump said on Nov. 2, he would veto the $740 billion National Defense Authorization Act unless Congress repeals Section 230. (Video: Reuters)

President Trump on Tuesday threatened to veto an annual defense bill authorizing nearly $1 trillion in military spending unless Congress opens the door for Facebook, Twitter and other social media sites to be held legally liable for the way they police their platforms.

Trump delivered his ultimatum — calling for the repeal of a federal law known as Section 230 — in a pair of late-night tweets that transformed a critical national security debate into a political war over his unproved allegations that Silicon Valley’s technology giants exhibit systemic bias against conservatives.