Twitter permanently suspends Trump's account, cites 'incitement of violence' risk

A photo illustration shows the suspended Twitter account of U.S. President Donald Trump on a smartphone and the White House in Washington, U.S., January 8, 2021. REUTERS/Joshua Roberts/Illustration

WASHINGTON/NEW YORK (Reuters) - Twitter Inc said on Friday that it has permanently suspended U.S. President Donald Trump's account due to the risk of further incitement of violence following the storming of the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday.

The suspension of Trump's account, which had more than 88 million followers, silences his primary megaphone days before the end of his term and follows years of debate about how social media companies should moderate the accounts of powerful global leaders.