Elon Musk said he would reverse Twitter’s ban on former President Donald Trump once he officially takes over the social media platform.
The Tesla tycoon, whose $44 billion takeover bid was accepted by Twitter’s board of directors last month, made the comment Tuesday during an interview with Financial Times.
“Everlasting bans ought to be extremely rare and really reserved for accounts which are bots, or scam, spam accounts … I do think it was not correct to ban Donald Trump,” Musk said.
“I believe that was a mistake, since it alienated a big a part of the country and didn’t ultimately end in Donald Trump not having a voice.”
“I might reverse the everlasting ban,” Musk added. “I don’t own Twitter yet. So this isn’t like a thing that will certainly occur, because what if I don’t own Twitter?”
Trump was faraway from Twitter and other large social media platforms after the events on the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Trump talks with Musk during a gathering with business leaders within the State Dining Room of the White House in Feb. 2017.AP
The then-president was accused of inciting his supporters to riot on the Capitol while Congress was in session to officially certify President-elect Joe Biden’s Electoral College victory.
Musk’s statement on Tuesday is confirmation of earlier reports that he vehemently opposed Twitter’s decision to bar the forty fifth president from its platform.
Jared Birchall, Musk’s top assistant, who has been described because the “point man” for the Tesla CEO’s $44 billion takeover bid of Twitter, told an associate that the concept of banning a sitting president from Twitter was “insane,” in response to the Wall Street Journal.
Musk made the comments during an interview with the Financial Times. FT.com
Trump was faraway from Twitter and other social media platforms following the events on the US Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.Getty Images
Musk reportedly “stays dismayed” that Trump continues to be not permitted to tweet, in response to the paper, which cited unnamed sources near the situation.
Trump supporters have been energized by the prospect of Musk taking control of Twitter and overhauling its content moderation policy.
Trump, for his part, has vowed to not return to Twitter, as a substitute touting his own social media platform, Truth Social. Musk, in a rare public reference to the situation last month, said Truth Social is due for a reputation change.
“Truth Social (terrible name) exists because Twitter censored free speech,” Musk tweeted. “Needs to be called Trumpet as a substitute!”
Twitter’s decision to ban Trump was a key point of disagreement between Musk and then-CEO Jack Dorsey.
Musk’s $44 billion takeover bid was accepted by Twitter’s board of directors last month.NurPhoto via Getty Images
Dorsey was initially against removing Trump from Twitter, but got here around to the concept after reaching the conclusion that the previous president violated the service’s terms of usage, in response to the Journal.
Nonetheless, Dorsey and Musk remained on friendly terms and maintained a dialogue, in response to the paper.
Dorsey, the Twitter co-founder who stepped down as CEO last 12 months, has endorsed Musk’s imminent purchase of the corporate, saying the world’s richest man is a “singular solution” for the San Francisco-based firm.
The Journal also reported that Musk mused about possibly buying Twitter earlier this 12 months after talking to the CEO of the Babylon Bee.
Musk and Babylon Bee CEO Seth Dillon spoke in March after the satirical, right-wing news site was banned from Twitter for mocking Rachel Levine, the transgender Biden administration official.
The Bee ran a satirical news story awarding Levine its honors as “man of the 12 months,” prompting Twitter to impose the ban.
Dillon told the Journal that after he confirmed to him that the Bee was indeed faraway from the location, Musk floated the opportunity of buying Twitter.
