Former President Donald Trump has threatened to instruct the Justice Department to pursue criminal charges against Google if he is elected president. In a post on Truth Social, Trump claimed that Google has unfairly displayed negative news about him while favoring positive coverage of his 2024 election opponent, Kamala Harris.
Trump’s complaint, which reflects his ongoing strategy to confront perceived adversaries during his campaign, accused Google of “illegally” manipulating search results to highlight negative stories about him and to showcase favorable coverage of Harris. He referred to this as “illegal activity” and stated he would request prosecution of Google if he wins the election.
However, Trump did not acknowledge that there may be more negative stories about his campaign compared to Harris’s in recent weeks, nor did he clarify the specific incidents that prompted his criticism of Google. In response, Google stated that it does not manipulate search results to favor any political party, asserting that both campaign websites appear prominently for relevant search queries.
Conservatives have long accused Google of bias, and the right-wing Media Research Center has previously claimed that the platform has aided Democrats. Additionally, the Trump campaign has expressed frustration over Harris’s campaign utilizing Google’s “sponsored” feature to promote favorable news coverage.
Trump’s comments about Google follow a pattern of threats against various individuals and organizations he perceives as adversaries. Earlier this month, he vowed to prosecute anyone involved in alleged election fraud against him if he regains the presidency. At a recent press conference, Trump also called for criminal charges against former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, accusing her of failing to prevent the January 6 Capitol attack, which was incited by his supporters.
During a campaign rally in Michigan, Trump urged investigations into Pelosi and her husband regarding their alleged stock sales before an antitrust lawsuit against Visa was announced.