This week, the United States reached the devastating distinction of over 100,000 deaths to the virus that's upended daily life in the country.
President Donald Trump commemorated that marker with a single tweet on Thursday.
Yet the President posted numerous tweets and even issued an executive order in response to two embedded fact checks issued by Twitter.
The President ranted that social media outlets were snuffing out conservative voices and that these private companies were infringing upon their free speech.
Supposedly in defense of free speech, the President announced he would consider shutting these companies down for using free speech to issue fact checks.
Republicans feel that Social Media Platforms totally silence conservatives voices. We will strongly regulate, or cl… https://t.co/2Z5Yb4iJbA— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1590577912.0
....happen again. Just like we can’t let large scale Mail-In Ballots take root in our Country. It would be a free f… https://t.co/3qZCMy52Rs— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1590577913.0
Faced with the threat of shutting down, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg responded to Trump's tweets in a Fox News interview:
"I just believe strongly that Facebook shouldn't be the arbiter of truth of everything that people say online. Private companies probably shouldn't be, especially these platform companies, shouldn't be in the position of doing that."
Facebook has been employing independent fact checkers on certain websites since 2016, but faced heavy criticism from Congress and other Americans for its leniency on fake news in political ads.
Zuckerberg's dismissal of fact checking was instantly met with publications pointing out the importance of it.
Mark Zuckerberg – Dead At 36 – Says Social Media Sites Should Not Fact Check Posts https://t.co/YC0ewn4xnu https://t.co/FK72v8fv1u— The Shovel (@The Shovel) 1590648394.0
Seemingly in response to Mark Zuckerberg saying that Facebook won't be "arbiters of truth" when asked about Twitter… https://t.co/0NuPR0O5ay— Erick Fernandez (@Erick Fernandez) 1590693347.0
People lauded the tongue-in-cheek rebuttals.
@ErickFernandez @ReignOfApril https://t.co/jsCvnB4EMO— The Mr Sir Luke (@The Mr Sir Luke) 1590693701.0
@ErickFernandez @ReignOfApril This is Art— Kate: Queen of Bread, Braids, & Bitchiness (@Kate: Queen of Bread, Braids, & Bitchiness) 1590693708.0
@TheShovel @crissles lmaooo these are killing me— tracy jumps to put jeans on (@tracy jumps to put jeans on) 1590702362.0
Others condemned Trump's attempts to stifle fact checks on social media.
Here, buried in the Executive Order is the reason @realDonaldTrump flipped his wig: He’s upset Twitter fact check… https://t.co/m8EiTe5RvI— Brian J. Karem (@Brian J. Karem) 1590702397.0
Donald Trump loves free speech and free enterprise so much that he'd use the powers of the presidency to shut down… https://t.co/HvrVDgveMB— Ezra Klein (@Ezra Klein) 1590698946.0
It's weird. Trump and his people spent a whole day coming up with a toothless social media executive order because… https://t.co/vHPTaPJxWi— Rex Huppke (@Rex Huppke) 1590701236.0
Apparently the President isn't too busy with the pandemic to focus on pettiness.