Elon Musk to reverse Donald Trump’s ban on Twitter if purchase deal goes through
Posted May 10, 2022 2:17 pm.
Last Updated May 10, 2022 2:28 pm.
Elon Musk said he would reverse Twitter’s permanent ban of former President Donald Trump if the Tesla CEO follows through with his plan to buy the social media company.
Speaking virtually at a Future of the Car summit hosted by the Financial Times, Musk said Twitter’s Trump ban was a “morally bad decision” and “foolish in the extreme.” He said permanent bans of Twitter accounts should be rare and reserved for accounts that are scams or automated bots.
Twitter banned Trump’s account in January 2021 for “incitement of violence” following the January 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
“I think that was a mistake because it alienated a large part of the country and did not ultimately result in Donald Trump not having a voice,” Musk said. “So I think this may end up being frankly worse than having a single forum where everyone can debate. I guess the answer is that I would reverse the permanent ban.”
Musk added that his distaste for permanent bans is shared by Twitter co-founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey.
Trump had previously said that he had no intention of rejoining Twitter even if his account was reinstated, telling Fox News last month that he would instead focus on his own platform, Truth Social, which has been mired in problems since its launch earlier this year.
“I am not going on Twitter. I am going to stay on Truth,” Trump told the network. “I hope Elon buys Twitter because he’ll improve it, and he is a good man, but I am going to be staying on Truth.”
A Trump spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment in response to Musk’s remarks.
CEO Elon Musk departs from the justice center in Wilmington, Del., Tuesday, July 13, 2021. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)
Musk’s plan to buy Twitter for $44 billion has raised fears he would make changes to the platform that would prioritize free speech over online safety — potentially putting him at odds with the looming rules in Europe, which has led a global movement to crack down on the power of tech giants.
The 65-second clip indicates Musk’s and the EU’s views may be closer than they appear. Breton says in the video that he explained the Digital Services Act to Musk in a meeting at Tesla’s Texas headquarters. Musk responds by saying it’s “exactly aligned with my thinking.”
“I agree with everything you said, really,” Musk said. “I think we’re very much of the same mind and, you know, I think anything that my companies can do that can be beneficial to Europe, we want to do that.”
The attempted Twitter acquisition by Musk, a billionaire and self-described free speech absolutist, had raised concerns that he would take a hands-off approach to content moderation.
Breton said he told Musk the EU law includes provisions to maintain users’ rights, such as giving them the right to appeal bans.
