Video games have been a repeat target of politicians for decades, attempting to tie a connection between acts of real-life violence and violence depicted in titles like Grand Theft Auto.
Despite little reliable evidence demonstrably proving a causal link, video games have been repeatedly blamed since the 1999 Columbine shooting, with politicians including Hillary Clinton leading campaigns against them.
The discussion appeared to rear its head again this week when clips of Donald Trump were shared online suggesting he would ban video games if elected.
Donald Trump, holds a town hall at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center on October 14, 2024, in Oaks, Pennsylvania. A slew of online posts this week claimed that Trump wanted to ban video games.
Spencer Platt/Getty Images
The Claim
Multiple posts shared on X, formerly Twitter, claimed that Donald Trump has said he will “ban video games.”
A post by user David Leavitt on October 15, 2024, viewed 8.1 million times, said: “Donald Trump says he will ban videogames.
“Retweet if you think he just lost the Millennial and Gen Z vote.”
A post by user @EliteGamerHaven, posted on October 15, 2024, said: “Hold up, Donald Trump wants to ban video games, and I’m not making this up.”
Each of the posts included a video of Trump saying: “We must stop the glorification of violence in our society.
“This includes the gruesome and grisly video games that are now commonplace. It is too easy today for troubled youth to surround themselves with a culture that celebrates violence.
“We must stop or substantially reduce this and it has to begin immediately,”
The Facts
The video of Trump trended on X this week, organized by X into a stream of posts called “Trump’s Video Game Ban Proposal.”
However, there is no evidence that Trump wants to ban video games or violent video games if elected. Furthermore, the video shared on social media is taken out of context.
The clip is from 2019 when Trump made a public statement following back-to-back mass shootings in El Paso, Texas, and Dayton, Ohio. The gunman in the El Paso shooting briefly mentioned the combat game Call of Duty in a hate-filled, anti-immigrant manifesto posted online shortly before the attack.
In 2018, following the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Parkland, Florida, Trump shared his view that video games may have been an influence.
“I’m hearing more and more people say the level of violence on video games is really shaping young people’s thoughts,” Trump said in February 2018. That year, he met with representatives from video game publishers, industry trade groups, and critics of the industry at a summit announced as part of plans to address mass shootings, particularly at schools.
However, these actions appeared to lead to no new regulations on either the sale or content within video games. The claim that Trump was exploring a ban appeared to have been extrapolated from what he said.
While Trump has not said he would turn back on his word to “stop or substantially reduce” young people accessing violent video games, it does not appear to have been a part of his 2024 campaign for president either. Newsweek has not found any recent statements or policy announcements about video games from the Republican camp.
Newsweek has contacted a media representative for Donald Trump for comment.
The Ruling
False.
There is no evidence that Donald Trump wants to ban video games. A video shared online from five years ago showed Trump calling for “immediate” action to “stop the glorification of violence in our society”, including “violent video games.” The comments were made in the wake of two mass shootings.
This video was shared recently, making it appear that he may pursue a ban if elected. However, Trump has not explicitly called for a ban nor does he appear to have made it a priority or goal of this election campaign.
FACT CHECK BY Newsweek’s Fact Check team
