Facebook confirms support to Donald Trump

Yes, you read it right!! In spite of receiving immense pressure from the activists groups, Facebook has confirmed its support to sponsor the Republican National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio, where Trump is expected to emerge as the party’s presidential nominee.

According to Facebook, its support is similar to what it has provided earlier in the election cycle. Along with Facebook, Twitter, Google, and Microsoft are also ready to support the convention. However, Microsoft will provide only technology support, and no financial support.

Erin Egan, Facebook’s Vice President of public policy said, “Facebook will support both the Republican and Democratic conventions in a similar manner and without endorsing any one candidate, issue or political party.”

He further added, “This support allows Facebook to facilitate an open dialogue among voters, candidates, and elected officials during the conventions just as it has during other critical moments in the US elections and in elections around the world.”

Facebook's participation in the convention will include sponsoring a lounge. In the past at the 2012 RNC, Facebook had sponsored “photo spots” for attendees.

In the recently-concluded F8 developers’ conference, Mark Zuckerberg had obliquely criticized Trump by saying, “I hear fearful voices calling for building walls. It takes courage to choose hope over fear. Instead of building walls, we can build bridges,” referring to Trump’s call for a giant wall to be built along the southern US border with Mexico.

He further told the gathering, “Our lives are connected. Whether we’re welcoming a refugee fleeing war or an immigrant seeking a new opportunity. Whether we’re coming together to fight global diseases like Ebola or to fight climate change, we have the courage to see that the path forward is to bring people together, not push people apart.”

To which the Trump’s campaign responded saying that Zuckerberg’s “attitude would change” if he moved closer to the U.S. border.

Though Twitter is yet to come up with a detailed plan, spokesperson Nu Wexler said in a statement, “Twitter works with both major political parties and we will support both national conventions, in order to promote civic engagement and democratic participation.”

CREDO Action, a group of progressive and civil rights organizations which is associated with the wireless provider CREDO Mobile, has gathered more than 65,000 signatures for a petition urging Google and Microsoft to pull out of supporting the RNC, saying “It is irresponsible and dangerous for corporations like Google and Microsoft to promote Trump’s hate by sponsoring the Republican convention.”

Activists held a #DumpTrump protest outside Google last week, and launched a Facebook ad campaign targeting some 10,000 Google employees and urging them to call on their Mountain View employer to pull the plug on a planned live stream.

Heidi Hess, a senior campaign manager at CREDO Action, described Facebook’s refusal to withdraw its presence from the convention as “wrapping their arms around Trump,” and says her group will continue to pressure the company to withhold its support.