Twitter Suspends Rep. Greene for 12 Hours, Citing COVID-19 Policy

Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) speaks at a news conference after visiting the Holocaust Museum, outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington on June 14, 2021. Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Twitter on Monday suspended Rep. Marjorie Greene (R-Ga.) for 12 hours, saying that two posts she made related to COVID-19 had violated its misinformation policy.

A Twitter spokesperson said in a media statement that Greene had made two Twitter posts on the day, and that the company was taking action on Greene’s account because her posts had violated Twitter’s “COVID-19 misleading information policy.”

The account was downgraded to “read only mode” for 12 hours.

Both Twitter posts are still available to view on Greene’s account, however, they have been labelled by the tech giant as “misleading.”

In one post on Monday morning, Greene wrote, “The controversial #COVID19 vaccines should not be forced on our military for a virus that is not dangerous for non-obese people and those under 65. With 6,000 vax related deaths and many concerning side effects reported, the vax should be a choice not a mandate for everyone.”

Greene’s post had tagged a separate Twitter post from Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) who said that he was told by an unnamed person in the U.S. military that more than 15 percent of officers under their command “will either retire early or resign their commissions if the mandate is given.”

The unnamed person also told Massie, “Ours is a small command, so I’m not sure how the numbers look across the force. I cannot speak for the % of the enlisted force, but I know numerous senior and critical people who will likewise leave.” Massie added that other military members and relatives of other members have also contacted him over mandatory vaccines.

A label over Greene’s Twitter post stated: “This Tweet is misleading. Learn why health officials recommend a vaccine for most people.” It linked to a Twitter page headlined, “COVID-19 vaccines are extremely effective at preventing serious illness and deaths, trials show.”

In a separate Twitter post made Sunday morning, Greene tagged a post by Dr. David Samadi, a urologist and Newsmax contributor, who wrote, “In the United Kingdom, 47% of new COVID-19 cases are vaccinated people.”

Greene commented on Samadi’s post, writing, “This is why no entity should force NON-FDA approved vaccines or masks.

“Instead help people protect their health by defeating obesity, which will protect them from covid complications & death, and many other health problems,” she added. “We should invest in health, not human experimentation.”

In a label over Greene’s post, Twitter said, “This Tweet is misleading. Learn why health officials recommend a vaccine for most people.” The statement hyperlinks to a Twitter page headlined, “Scientists and public health experts say that vaccines are safe for most people.”

“Twitter, Facebook, and the rest of the Silicon Valley Cartel are working hand in hand with the White House to censor Americans. This is a Communist-style attack on free speech,” Greene said in an emailed statement to The Epoch Times.

Rep. Marjorie Greene (R-Ga.) speaks during a press conference on Capitol Hill, Washington on Feb. 5, 2021. Alex Edelman/AFP via Getty Images

“These Big Tech companies are doing the bidding of the Biden regime to restrict our voices and prevent the spread of any message that isn’t state-approved,” she added. “I will not back down and I will continue to tell the truth to the American people.”

Twitter’s COVID-19 misleading information policy says that people “may not use Twitter’s services to share false or misleading information about COVID-19 which may lead to harm.”

“Content that is demonstrably false or misleading and may lead to significant risk of harm (such as increased exposure to the virus, or adverse effects on public health systems) may not be shared on Twitter,” the company states.

“This includes sharing content that may mislead people about the nature of the COVID-19 virus; the efficacy and/or safety of preventative measures, treatments, or other precautions to mitigate or treat the disease; official regulations, restrictions, or exemptions pertaining to health advisories; or the prevalence of the virus or risk of infection or death associated with COVID-19,” it adds. “In addition, we may label Tweets which share misleading information about COVID-19 to reduce their spread and provide additional context.”

Greene was previously suspended from Twitter in April. The company later lifted the suspension, saying that it was a mistake made by its automated moderation system.

Greene, a first-term lawmaker who supported former President Donald Trump, has been critical of mask and vaccine mandates.

In June, Greene apologized over remarks she made that compared mask and vaccine mandates to how Jews were discriminated in the early years of Nazi Germany.

In February, Greene was stripped of her committee positions for remarks she made before being sworn into office.

Update: This article has been updated to include comments from Rep. Greene.