During Tuesday night’s GOP debate, Donald Trump proposed an unusual strategy for fighting ISIS: banning “areas” of the internet “where we are at war with somebody.” It got odder from there.
Donald Trump just proposed closing “areas” of the internet
Zack Beauchamp is a senior correspondent at Vox, where he covers ideology and challenges to democracy, both at home and abroad. His book on democracy, The Reactionary Spirit, was published 0n July 16. You can purchase it here.
Here is his exchange with host Wolf Blitzer, which began after Blitzer asked Trump if he wanted to close off parts of the internet:
TRUMP: We should be using our brilliant people. Our most brilliant mind to figure a way that ISIS cannot use the internet. And then on second, we should be able to penetrate the internet and find out exactly where ISIS is and everything about ISIS. We can do that if we use our good people.
BLITZER: Let me follow up, Mr. Trump. So, are you open to closing parts of the internet?
TRUMP: I would certainly be open to closing areas where we are at war with somebody. I sure as hell don’t want to let people that want to kill us and kill our nation use our internet. Yes, sir. I am.
It is unclear the “areas” of the internet at which “we are at war with somebody,” how one could shut down “areas” of the internet, or even what an “area” of the internet is.
