Do you disagree with Liberty University’s president’s decision to endorse Donald Trump for president? You could get blocked on Twitter if you tweet your dissatisfaction with the endorsement.
Tyler McNally, a Liberty University student (and someone I’ve followed for a few years), tweeted a screenshot Friday afternoon showing Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. blocking him on his Twitter account.
“My school president blocked me. AMA” McNally wrote. (“AMA” is an acronym for “Ask Me Anything,” a joke referencing a section of Reddit where users ask questions to celebrities or those with interesting stories.)
McNally then tweeted a screenshot of others claiming to have been blocked by Falwell.
Melody Young, who identified herself as an online student, told Falwell that “If you block those who disagree with you they don’t experience love nor acceptance.”
Falwell responded back to Young, saying he wasn’t blocking those who disagreed, “only those who badger, have made up their minds and refuse to be confused with facts.”
Some of McNally’s earlier tweets were critical of Falwell’s decision to endorse Trump, asking the president how he could endorse Trump based on the New York business mogul’s support for eminent domain and calling the president “a traitor to conservatism.”
McNally sent Falwell at least seven tweets about his endorsement of Trump over 10 days.
“President Falwell is allowed to use his social media accounts however he pleases. However, this frivolous blocking of anyone who is critical of his decision to endorse Donald Trump, including current students and alumni, is beneath his position as president of Liberty University,” McNally told the Washington Examiner. “He has claimed that he respects the opinions of his students, and while that may in fact be true, the act of blocking someone shows the opposite.”
He added: “President Falwell knew the endorsement would be controversial, and up until this moment in time, he has yet to answer his critics, both evangelicals and those outside his circle.”
McNally also said he doesn’t believe he will face any campus backlash as a result of his criticism.
Falwell did not respond to Examiner inquiries.
Ashe Schow is a commentary writer for the Washington Examiner.
