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Elon Musk allows Donald Trump to return Twitter : NPR


A tweet by former President Donald Trump is displayed on a screen during a hearing held by the House January 6 committee on June 9.

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A tweet by former President Donald Trump is displayed on a screen during a hearing held by the House January 6 committee on June 9.

Drew Angerer/Getty Images

Former President Donald Trump’s Twitter account will be restored under the ownership of this social media company, billionaire Elon Musk.

Musk polled Twitter users on Friday and Saturday to ask them if Trump should be reinstated, and a narrow majority voted for Trump. On Saturday night, Musk tweeted, “Everyone has spoken. Trump will be reinstated. Vox Populi, Vox Dei.” Latin phrase meaning “the voice of the people is the voice of God.”

Twitter is the first platform to ban Trump after his supporters breached the US Capitol on January 6, 2021, saying his tweets violated the rules against glorify violence. That move was quickly followed by similar moves from FacebookInstagram, YouTube, Snapchat, Twitch and more internet company.

Now, Twitter has become the first company to restore the former president’s account, giving him back access to the powerful loudspeaker he used for years to attack political enemies, attract fans and drives the daily news cycle, as well as reaching nearly 90 audiences. million followers and even more as his tweets are amplified on Twitter and in mainstream media.

Whether Trump will accept the invitation to return to Twitter is another matter. In a speech Saturday to the Republican Jewish Coalition, Trump poured cold water on the idea of ​​going back to Twitter, saying, “I don’t see any reason for that.” according to the newsBloomberg. After being expelled from mainstream social media, Trump and some of his allies launched a rival social networking site called Social Truth.

Musk, who bought Twitter for $44 billion after months of legal wrangling over whether he would make the deal, has vowed to “unlock” the company’s potential by promoting free speech. Prior to the purchase, Musk criticized the platform’s rules against harassment, hate speech and false statements about elections and public health, saying it should allow all speeches to be made. legal expression.

During the tumultuous first weeks of Musk owning Twitter, many employees and contractors were responsible for ensuring that malicious and illegal content didn’t take over the platform. was fired or laid off.

Musk also said he opposes the idea of ​​permanently banning the social network, and at a conference in May he described Twitter decision to ban Trump as “morally bad” and “outrageously stupid.”

“I think it was a mistake because it alienated a large portion of the people of this country and ultimately didn’t lead to Donald Trump having no say,” he said.

However, Musk has emphasized that the website will not emphasize what he calls “negative/hate tweet.” He has reversed bans on other controversial accounts, including right-wing author and podcaster Jordan Peterson and conservative satirical website The Babylon Bee.

Trump’s return to power on Twitter comes at a time of growing concern about the potential for political violence due to growing polarization and increasingly aggressive rhetoric from Republicans who continue to continues to deny that Trump lost the 2020 presidential election.

That includes Trump himself, who switched to Social Truth condemn election fraud and open embrace far-right QAnon conspiracy theory. Even though Trump reaches a much smaller audience there – 4.5 million followers – screenshots and quotes of his Truth Social posts still go viral on platforms that have banned him. as well as other alternative social networking sites popular with the right wing.

“His eloquence has really escalated during the time he’s been removed from his own social media platform and we have no reason to think he’ll tone it down or curb it. if he goes back to one of these majors. foundation,” Nicole Gill, chief executive officer of Accountable Tech, a progressive advocacy group, said in an interview ahead of Twitter’s announcement. “He is promoting the ‘Big Lie’ from wherever he can.”

Twitter’s move could also have an impact beyond its own platform, especially with Trump’s announcement that he will run for president again in 2024.

Facebook is considering whether to lift its own suspension of the former president when the suspension order Expires January 2023and the company said it is talking to outside experts and looking into “real-world harm-related signals” in making that decision. YouTube has said it will allow Trump to repost the video when the risk of violence decreasesbut it doesn’t give any timeline.

It’s also unclear what Trump’s return to Twitter means for Truth Social.

According to one regulatory recordsTrump made an agreement with Truth Social to post there first and not publish the same content on any other social media sites for six hours — except for political messages, political fundraisers, and advocacy efforts. vote, which he can send anywhere at any time.

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