Republicans, Democrats at odds over social media companies banning Trump

Several social media companies banned President Donald Trump from their platforms while he was still in office following rioting at the U.S. Capitol, citing their belief that his posts violated their terms of use and that his rhetoric could result in more violence. Americans are more likely to support rather than oppose this ouster, but views of the bans – and whether these platforms should remove aggressive content more generally – are sharply divided along political lines, according to a new Pew Research Center survey conducted Jan. 19-24, 2021.

Overall, 58% of U.S. adults say they think social media companies’ decisions to ban Donald Trump’s accounts from their platforms following rioting at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 were the right thing to do, while a smaller share – 41% – say these were the wrong thing to do.