Twitter just explained why it won't block Trump for tweets that North Korea considers a declaration of war
Donald Trump's tweets  have long raised questions about whether  they  violate Twitter's rules prohibiting abusive behavior on the service.
On Monday  after a  Trump  tweet threatened that North Korea might not "be around much longer " Twitter was forced to explain why the President was not banned from the service.
 Trump 's tweet came at time of heightened tensions between the US and North Korea  following several North Korean missile launches and nuclear tests that have drawn sharp criticism from the international community. On Friday a North Korean official said the country might test a hydrogen bomb over the Pacific Ocean.
 Trump  and North Korean government have been engaged in a war of words  with North Korea's foreign minister calling  Trump  "mentally deranged" and  Trump  referring to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as "Rocket Man."
After  Trump 's tweet on Saturday  North Korea's foreign minister told reporters that the country considers  Trump 's tweet to be a declaration of war  and that his country can thus legally shoot down US military planes  according to NPR.
Special  Trump  rules?
The episode has put Twitter in a difficult position  leading many observers to question how  the company 's policies against threats and abuse squared with tweets by  Trump  that some believe risk provoking a nuclear conflict.
Under  its  existing policy  Twitter reserves the right to remove content and disable accounts that post violent threats or harassment.
 The company  has left up  Trump 's tweet about North Korea because of  its  "newsworthiness" and "public interest value" â two factors which are taken into account for all content considered otherwise in violation of  the company 's content policy.
That explanation struck some critics as tantamount to Twitter admitting that the usual rules don't apply to  Trump .
Twitter insisted it was not being inconsistent in its rules. And  the company  promised to update  its  public-facing policy to give users a better understanding of  its  process.
 [TGT]  tweets  have long raised questions about whether   [TGT]   violate Twitter's rules prohibiting abusive behavior on the service.
On Monday  after a   [TGT]   tweet threatened that North Korea might not "be around much longer " Twitter was forced to explain why the President was not banned from the service.
  [TGT]  's tweet came at time of heightened tensions between the US and North Korea  following several North Korean missile launches and nuclear tests that have drawn sharp criticism from the international community. On Friday a North Korean official said the country might test a hydrogen bomb over the Pacific Ocean.
 Trump  and North Korean government have been engaged in a war of words  with North Korea's foreign minister calling  Trump  "mentally deranged" and  Trump  referring to North Korean leader Kim Jong Un as "Rocket Man."
After  Trump 's tweet on Saturday  North Korea's foreign minister told reporters that the country considers  Trump 's tweet to be a declaration of war  and that his country can thus legally shoot down US military planes  according to NPR.
Special  Trump  rules?
The episode has put Twitter in a difficult position  leading many observers to question how  the company 's policies against threats and abuse squared with tweets by  Trump  that some believe risk provoking a nuclear conflict.
Under  its  existing policy  Twitter reserves the right to remove content and disable accounts that post violent threats or harassment.
 The company  has left up  Trump 's tweet about North Korea because of  its  "newsworthiness" and "public interest value" â two factors which are taken into account for all content considered otherwise in violation of  the company 's content policy.
That explanation struck some critics as tantamount to Twitter admitting that the usual rules don't apply to  Trump .
Twitter insisted it was not being inconsistent in its rules. And  the company  promised to update  its  public-facing policy to give users a better understanding of  its  process.