White House didn't invite Facebook to 'social media summit' that will feature right-wing complaints about being excluded from major platforms
- White House did not invite Facebook to a social media summit it's hosting on July 11; other top tech brands like Twitter and Google weren't expected attend, either
- Conference is shaping up to be a platform for conservatives to air their grievances against dominant tech companies that won't be represented
- Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and other tech CEOs are expected to be at another invite-only media and tech summit, held each July, in Sun Valley, Idaho
- Brings together the crème de la crème of the industry and overlaps with Trump's
- Source close to the White House noted that Trump met with Google CEO Sundar Pichai in March and Twitter founder Jack Dorsey in April
- Guest list is closely held but several conservative Twitter users who were asked posted pictures of the White House invite and confirmed their attendance
The White House did not invite Facebook to a social media summit it's hosting on Thursday that's shaping up to be a platform for conservatives to air their grievances against dominant tech companies.
A source with knowledge of the event confirmed that Facebook was excluded. Twitter was reportedly left off the guest list, as well.
Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and other tech CEOs are expected to be in Idaho at the time of the president's July 11 event for Allen & Co's annual media conference.
The invite-only media and tech summit, held each July, for one week, in Sun Valley, Idaho, brings together the crème de la crème of the entertainment industry.
The White House did not invite Facebook to a social media summit it's hosting on Thursday that's shaping up to be a platform for conservatives to air their grievances against dominant tech companies
A source with knowledge of the event confirmed that Facebook was excluded. Twitter was reportedly left off the guest list, as well
Allen & Co's event has been held annually for decades, and the timing of the White House's event suggests that Trump never intended for the heads of Twitter, Facebook or Alphabet Inc., the parent company of Google, to attend.
CNN reported that Twitter was also excluded from the summit.
A White House spokesperson declined to comment, and no one at the White House has said who is on the guest list for the event.
A source close to the White House noted that Trump met with Google CEO Sundar Pichai in March and Twitter founder Jack Dorsey in April - they have had their opportunity to state their case to Trump.
It's conservatives the president interacts with on Twitter who have said in posts over the last week that they received invitations, including users Carpe Donktum, GrrrGraphics and Scott Presler.
Grr Graphics is an account promoting the work of right-wing political cartoonist Ben Garrison, who's work has been derided as racist and anti-Semitic for its depictions of blacks and Jewish figures.
Garrison shared a copy of the social media summit invitation on July 5 and said he's 'honored' to be attending the summit scheduled for 3 pm on Thursday at an undisclosed location on the property.
Presler also posted a copy of his invitation and wrote in a July 4 post: 'I'm so completely honored & humbled to share that I've been invited to the White House for the social media summit. I can't even believe this is happening. Dreams do come true.'
In a July 1 post that tipped off the public to the summit, Donktum thanked the president for the invitation and said he planned to attend the Washington, D.C. event.
'After working out a few issues with childcare, I happily accept! It is a great honor to have been invited!' he wrote.
Donktum, who says he's a stay-at-home-dad, is behind the doctored, viral videos the president likes to share, like one of a Time Magazine cover that ends with Trump staying in office '4EVA.' The president has posted the video multiple times on his accounts.
He's also responsible for a satirical video of Joe Biden embracing himself after apologizing for inappropriate touching.
His trip to Washington for the event, he said in a later tweet, is being paid for by anonymous donors.
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Carpe Donktum, who says he's a stay-at-home-dad, is behind the doctored, viral videos the president likes to share, like one of a Time Magazine cover that ends with Trump staying in office '4EVA'
Grr Graphics is an account promoting the work of right-wing political cartoonist Ben Garrison, who's work has been derided as racist and anti-Semitic for its depictions of blacks and Jewish figures
User Scott Presler also says he was invited to attend the White House summit on July 11
Trump has claimed that social media giants like Twitter are colluding with Democrats to curb his following and silence conservative voices.
'Twitter is just terrible what they do. They don’t let you get the word – I’ve had so many people come to me, “Sir, I can’t join you on Twitter.” I see what’s happening, 100 percent,' he claimed in a Fox Business interview at the end of June.
He's accused Google of weighting its search results to bury positive information about him in the same phone call with Maria Bartiromo, which aired live on the network.
The president was unable to say whether Google was breaking any laws but told Bartiromo: 'I tell you what, they should be sued because what’s happening with the bias – and now you see it with that executive yesterday from Google, the hatred for the Republicans.'
Trump appeared to be referring to an incident in October of 2018, when a design lead for Google vented on Twitter about Republicans' confirmation of Brett Kavanaugh.
He wrote, then deleted, a tweet that said: 'You are finished, GOP. You polished the final nail for your own coffins.'
Spokespersons for Google were unavailable to comment on the White House's social media summit. Facebook declined to issue a statement on the event.
A Twitter spokesperson declined to comment, as well, but denied that the company is singling out conservatives on the platform.
'We enforce the Twitter Rules impartially for all users, regardless of their background or political affiliation. We are constantly working to improve our systems and will continue to be transparent in our efforts,' the spokesperson told DailyMail.com.
In the interview on Fox Business at the end of June, the president claimed that Twittet is making it difficult for his supporters to join the platform that he uses as the primary distribution method of direct communication.
'You know, I have millions and millions of followers but I will tell you, they make it very hard for people to join me in Twitter, and they make it very much harder for me to get out the message,' he contended.
He claimed, 'These people are all Democrats. It’s totally biased toward Democrats. If I announced tomorrow I am going to become a nice liberal Democrat, I would pick up 5 times more followers. I was picking up, 100,000 followers every few days and all of a sudden -- I am much hotter now than I was a number of months ago. But a number of months ago and then all of a sudden it stopped. And now I pick up a lot but I don't pick up nearly what I did.'
The president said it may take congressional legislation to address what he sees as a root problem.
'Well you may need legislation in order to create competition,' he asserted.
The president argued that Google should be investigated for its association with Russian bloggers attempting to meddle in the election.
'Let me tell you, they’re trying to rig the election. That’s what we should be looking at not the witch hunt, the phony witch hunt which has proven zero. You know not even a phone call,' he argued. 'This is the biggest political disgrace in history.'
Trump also claimed that Google should be sued for alleged 'bias' against conservatives and support for Democrats.
'It’s not even like gee let’s lean Democrat, the hatred. And actually, you know, I heard that all during my election. It’s hard that I won, they were – they were swamping us with negative stuff,' he said.
