Twitter Apologizes After 'Die Trump' Trends
Twitter apologized on Monday for allowing the Turkish phrase “Mahvolursun Trump” — or “Die Trump” in English — to appear in its trending topics section.
According to Breitbart News, the phrase began trending Monday after President Donald Trump issued a stark warning for Turkey not to meddle militarily in Northern Syria as the United States begins to withdraw from the region.
….the captured ISIS fighters and families. The U.S. has done far more than anyone could have ever expected, including the capture of 100% of the ISIS Caliphate. It is time now for others in the region, some of great wealth, to protect their own territory. THE USA IS GREAT!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 7, 2019
Trump’s threats, which involved severe economic pressure, did not sit well with the Turkish citizenry, however, and Twitter saw a massive influx in calls for the president’s death.
Left-wing Turkish Patriotic Party Chairman Doğu Perinçek allegedly began the trend, according to Breitbart, tweeting “Mr. Trump you can destroy only USA. #MahvolursunTrump.”
Mr. Trump you can destroy only USA.
Trump sen ancak ABD’yi mahvedebilirsin. #MahvolursunTrump
— Doğu Perinçek (@Dogu_Perincek) October 7, 2019
Perinçek’s countrymen followed suit, directing such messages as “you are doomed to be destroyed” and “Yankee go home” toward the U.S. and pushing the “Die Trump” hashtag into Twitter’s trending section for several hours before the platform made an effort to remove the violent rhetoric.
“This phrase should not have appeared in trends, and we’re sorry for this mistake,” a Twitter spokesperson said in a statement. “At times, we do prevent certain content from trending and we have now done so with this trend.”
Delivering on promises to withdraw the U.S. from unending, and unnecessary, involvement in foreign conflicts, Trump announced the total withdrawal of American troops from the region Monday morning.
The decision prompted a backlash from politicians on both sides of the aisle, and throughout the global community, with many arguing it might embolden the Turkish government to launch an assault on ethnic minority Kurdish rebels working to stamp out remnants of the Islamic State in their homeland.
Trump, for his part, argued such a thing would not happen — warning that any Turkish military action would result in American efforts to “totally destroy and obliterate” the Middle Eastern nation’s economy.
“If Turkey does anything that I, in my great and unmatched wisdom, consider to be off limits,” Trump tweeted. “I will totally destroy and obliterate the Economy of Turkey.”
“They must, with Europe and others, watch over the captured ISIS fighters and families,” he added. “The U.S. has done far more than anyone could have ever expected, including the capture of 100% of the ISIS Caliphate.”
“It is time now for others in the region, some of great wealth, to protect their own territory.”
Twitter has since removed the threatening hashtag from its trending tab, but tweets containing the phrase are still public as of Tuesday morning.
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