By The New York Times (U.S.) | Created at 2024-09-27 21:23:12 | Updated at 2024-09-30 05:30:21
2 days ago
The former president said on social media that he would “request their prosecution, at the maximum levels” if he was elected to a second term.
- Sept. 27, 2024, 4:42 p.m. ET
Former President Donald J. Trump threatened Friday to prosecute Google if he was elected to the presidency a second time, claiming that the tech company had been “illegally” showing only “bad stories” about him and only “good” ones about Vice President Kamala Harris.
It was the latest instance of Mr. Trump threatening to prosecute his perceived opponents should he return to office. This month, he called for the prosecution of lawyers, political donors and operatives if they engaged in “unscrupulous behavior.”
Mr. Trump said at a news conference on Thursday that the former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi should be prosecuted in connection with the security lapses by which a mob of his own supporters attacked the Capitol during the transfer of presidential power on Jan. 6, 2021.
And on Friday, in Michigan, he called for an attorney general “somewhere, like in a Republican territory” to investigate Ms. Pelosi and her husband over reports that Mr. Pelosi had sold Visa stock ahead of the Justice Department’s filing an antitrust lawsuit against the company.
It was not immediately clear what prompted Mr. Trump to make the statement about Google on his social media website, Truth Social.
“It has been determined that Google has illegally used a system of only revealing and displaying bad stories about Donald J. Trump, some made up for this purpose while, at the same time, only revealing good stories about Comrade Kamala Harris,” Mr. Trump wrote.
“This is an ILLEGAL ACTIVITY, and hopefully the Justice Department will criminally prosecute them for this blatant Interference of Elections,” he added. “If not, and subject to the Laws of our Country, I will request their prosecution, at the maximum levels, when I win the Election, and become President of the United States!”
Google said it did not manipulate search results to favor any candidate.
“Both campaign websites consistently appear at the top of search for relevant and common search queries,” a Google spokesman said.
Conservatives have complained in the past that Google’s algorithms favor Democrats. The Media Research Center, a group that works to counter what it calls the “leftist bias of the national news media,” has issued studies in the past claiming that Google search aids Democrats.
Google disputed reports claiming that its search aided one candidate or party.
Mr. Trump made the post shortly before Ms. Harris was set to appear at the southern border, a trip that Mr. Trump had been denouncing for a full day.
Maggie Haberman is a senior political correspondent reporting on the 2024 presidential campaign, down ballot races across the country and the investigations into former President Donald J. Trump. More about Maggie Haberman
Nico Grant reports on Alphabet’s Google and YouTube as well as the corporate culture of Silicon Valley. He is based in San Francisco. More about Nico Grant
Michael Gold is a political correspondent for The Times covering the campaigns of Donald J. Trump and other candidates in the 2024 presidential elections. More about Michael Gold
