Elon Musk says he would lift Trump’s Twitter ban after deal closes

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:

• Elon Musk said he would lift Twitter’s ban on former President Donald Trump after his acquisition is completed.
• Trump was permanently suspended from Twitter after the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.
• Trump previously said that he will not go back to Twitter.

Elon Musk said that he will reverse former President Donald Trump’s ban from Twitter after his deal with the platform closes. Musk made the statement at the Financial Times’s “Future of the Car” event.

“I think it was a morally bad decision, to be clear, and foolish in the extreme,” said Musk. “I do think it was not correct to ban Donald Trump. I think that was a mistake.”

The Tesla CEO said the ban only “alienated a large part of the country and did not ultimately result in Donald Trump not having a voice.”

Trump was permanently banned by Twitter shortly after the deadly Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol. According to the platform, Trump’s posts could encourage more violence.

Last month, the Tesla CEO had an agreement with Twitter to buy all outstanding shares of the company in a deal worth around $44 billion.

Some civil society groups have predicted that Musk’s Twitter purchase could mean Trump’s return to the platform. The tech billionaire has been promoting free speech absolutism.

The former president, who boasted over 80 million followers on Twitter, responded by saying that he would not return to the platform. even if invited back on. He said he will remain on the social media platform launched by his media company, Truth Social, where he has 2.66 million followers.

However, Twitter’s reach is more extensive. This could convince Trump to return to the platform.

Musk’s negotiation to buy Twitter may take several months to complete. Some shareholders still have to accept the proposal to purchase their shares at $54.20. The deal could also be held up by a reported Federal Trade Commission investigation.

Twitter’s current top management has said they will continue to run the company as they were before the proposed deal.

Source: The Hill