Triggered: Users Ask Twitter to Remove Scott Walker Christmas Tree Tweet

On Saturday, former Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker announced that Twitter had sent him an official warning after users flagged one of his tweets sharing a Christmas tree.

"This morning I got an email from [Twitter] saying they received complaints from this tweet. Merry Christmas," Walker tweeted.

The tweet in question involved the image of a Christmas tree with the text, "This is a Christmas Tree that is used by people celebrating Christmas. This is not a holiday tree."



Twitter gives users the ability to "report" messages on Twitter, alerting the social media platform that the message in question is: "suspicious or spam," "abusive or harmful, "expressive of "intentions of self-harm or suicide," or simply not interesting to the user in question.

When Twitter sent Walker the email, the platform was likely notifying the former governor that users had marked his tweet to be spam or "abusive or harmful," a category that includes "hate speech."

It seems likely Twitter users accused Walker of "hate speech." A few users attacked his message as a way to justify hate.

Many non-Christians celebrate Christmas, including Muslims, non-Orthodox Jews, and those who do not affiliate with any particular religion.

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