Trump doubles down on defense bill veto threat over Section 230

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President Trump tweeted late Thursday that he would follow through on his earlier threat to veto the National Defense Authorization Act if it did not include a repeal of Section 230 of the 1996 Communications Decency Act, which provides legal protection for Big Tech companies.

Trump’s tweet came after Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla., presented the final version of the $740 million National Defense Authorization Act.

SECTION 230 EXPLAINED, AND WHY IT'S UNDER ATTACK

The Oklahoman reported that the bill includes a 3% pay raise and bonuses for troops. The paper said Inhofe, the chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, has indicated that he agrees with Trump that Section 230 should be repealed, but the “place for repeal is not the defense authorization bill.”

Trump took to Twitter and said it is sad that Inhofe will be trying to advance the bill without the “Section 230 termination clause.”

“So bad for our National Security and Election Integrity,” Trump wrote. “Last chance to ever get it done. I will VETO!”

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Opponents of Section 230, like many Republicans, have been vocal that tech behemoths like Twitter and Facebook should no longer be shielded as a neutral platform when they operate more like a publisher.

These tech companies say the law, in some form, is essential for free speech to continue on the internet.

Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey, the CEOs of Facebook and Twitter, respectively, talked about the law in front of the Senate Commerce Committee in October.

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"Section 230 is the most important law protecting internet speech. In removing Section 230, we will remove speech from the internet," Dorsey said during his testimony.