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President Trump met privately with Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, reportedly complained about follower count

After reporting strong Q1 earnings this morning, Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey this afternoon met with President Trump at the White House. The goal of the meeting was to talk about “protecting the health of the public conversation” ahead of the 2020 elections, Twitter said in a statement.

Twitter says that meeting was initiated by the president, who has expressed frustration with the social network in the past. Trump has accused Twitter of playing “political games” and silencing conservatives on multiple occasions.

The Washington Post offers new details on the meeting, explaining that Trump spent a “significant portion” of the meeting complaining about his follower account on Twitter. Trump also reportedly noted that other conservatives had likewise experienced a drop in followers:

A significant portion of the meeting focused on Trump’s concerns that Twitter quietly, and deliberately, had removed some of his followers, according to a person with direct knowledge of the conversation who requested anonymity because it was private. Trump said he had heard from fellow conservatives who had lost followers as well.

The actual answer to Trump’s concerns is that follower counts on Twitter can vary wildly as the social network removes spam accounts. If Twitter removes a large chunk of spam and bot accounts, many Twitter users will notice a loss in followers. Dorsey reportedly stressed this point during the meeting, explaining that even he, as Twitter CEO, had “lost followers as part of Twitter’s work to enforce its policies.”

Ultimately, Twitter said in a statement that the meeting served as a way to discuss protecting the public conversation:

In a statement, Twitter said the meeting— initiated by the president — focused on “protecting the health of the public conversation ahead of the 2020 U.S. elections and efforts underway to respond to the opioid crisis.” Twitter partners with the federal government on a program to encourage Americans to dispose of prescription drugs they no longer need to prevent against abuse.

Read the full Washington Post report here.

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Avatar for Chance Miller Chance Miller

Chance is the editor-in-chief of 9to5Mac, overseeing the entire site’s operations. He also hosts the 9to5Mac Daily and 9to5Mac Happy Hour podcasts.

You can send tips, questions, and typos to chance@9to5mac.com.

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