We knew it would happen under Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter, it was just a matter of when and how. Musk has decided to reinstate Donald Trump’s Twitter account, the same account which had been suspended since January 2021. I went back and looked at my post from that week, the week of the insurrection, and remembered how f–king scary it was that Trump was using the platform to try to incite a second insurrection. There were very real concerns that Trump was attempting to agitate, incite and plan a violent disruption of Joe Biden’s inauguration too. Twitter explicitly suspended Trump because Trump’s rhetoric was so dangerous and threatening… towards the American people. So, Trump’s account is back now.
Elon Musk restored the Twitter account of former president Donald Trump on Saturday, a pivotal move that could help the platform’s once loudest, bluntest force regain online attention just as a new presidential election begins.
“The people have spoken,” Musk wrote in a tweet, nodding to the results of a Twitter poll that had just completed on whether to reinstate the former president.
Trump’s account was repopulating with old tweets and followers Saturday night, though the former president had not tweeted immediately after being restored. He said earlier Saturday he remained focused on his Twitter clone, Truth Social, signaling he would not return to the site right away.
Twitter users who participated in Musk’s poll voted roughly 52 percent to 48 percent to restore Trump’s account, according to the unscientific and non-representative Twitter poll. Musk has put multiple pivotal decisions up to a vote from his Twitter feed, including, last year, on whether to sell 10 percent of his Tesla stock.
Musk had previously said he disagreed with the ban and intended to restore Trump. But after purchasing Twitter for $44 billion late last month, he had also promised to install a content moderation council to make such decisions — saying the process would likely take weeks.
We just have the dumbest and most violent right-wing people in charge of this mess now. Musk is too f–king stupid to understand what he’s unleashing, and Trump is just one of the dumbest and most vile people on the planet. The only silver lining here is that this reinstatement will be the straw that broke the camel’s back for most advertisers and for news outlets too – CBS News has already suspended their Twitter activities, and Musk has reportedly been “groveling” on calls to advertisers to keep their business.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.
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- President Donald Trump gives a thumbs up to supporters lined up along the street at the Jupiter Inlet Lighthouse and Museum in Jupiter, Florida after appearing a campaign rally on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020. (Mike Stocker/Sun Sentinel/TNS) Photo via Newscom
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- Washington, D.C. – United States President Donald J. Trump announces a bipartisan agreement to reopen the federal government for a three week period in the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, DC on January 25, 2019. The President expressed his hope that Congressional leaders would come together to pass legislation that will result in border security. Pictured: Donald Trump BACKGRID USA 25 JANUARY 2019 BYLINE MUST READ: MediaPunch / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Washington, D.C. – United States President Donald J. Trump, joined by United States Vice President Mike Pence, delivers remarks on the Coronavirus pandemic during a news conference in the James S. Brady Press Briefing room at the White House in Washington D.C., U.S., on Sunday April 19, 2020. Speaker of the United States House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi (Democrat of California) stated that lawmakers are close to a deal with United States Secretary of the Treasury Steven T. Mnuchin regarding a second round of small business loans for businesses impacted by Coronavirus. Pictured: President Donald Trump BACKGRID USA 19 APRIL 2020 BYLINE MUST READ: MediaPunch / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Washington, DC – United States President Donald J. Trump arrives from Camp David to speak during a Virtual Town Hall inside of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC. Pictured: President Trump BACKGRID USA 3 MAY 2020 BYLINE MUST READ: MediaPunch / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Washington, DC – Jared Kushner, Assistant to the President and Senior Advisor speaks with Republican members of Congress prior to the arrival of United States President Donald J. Trump in the State Dining Room of the White House in Washington, DC. Pictured: Donald Trump BACKGRID USA 8 MAY 2020 BYLINE MUST READ: MediaPunch / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Washington, DC – U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington D.C., U.S., on Monday, Aug. 31, 2020. Trump plans to travel to Kenosha, Wisconsin on Tuesday, where two people were killed last week during protests against the police-involved shooting of a 29-year-old Black man. Pictured: President Donald Trump BACKGRID USA 31 AUGUST 2020 BYLINE MUST READ: MediaPunch / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Washington, DC – United States President Donald J. Trump speaks at a news conference at the North Portico of the White House in Washington, DC. Pictured: Donald Trump BACKGRID USA 7 SEPTEMBER 2020 BYLINE MUST READ: MediaPunch / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Washington, DC – United States President Donald J. Trump speaks to members of the media on the South Lawn of the White House before boarding Marine One in Washington, D.C., U.S. Pictured: Donald Trump BACKGRID USA 24 SEPTEMBER 2020 BYLINE MUST READ: MediaPunch / BACKGRID USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
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- Circleville, OH – President Donald J. Trump delivers remarks during a MAGA Rally at the Pickaway County Fairgrounds Saturday, October 24, 2020 in Circleville, Ohio. The President’s visit comes just 10 days left before the general election. Pictured: President Trump BACKGRID USA 24 OCTOBER 2020 USA: +1 310 798 9111 / usasales@backgrid.com UK: +44 208 344 2007 / uksales@backgrid.com *UK Clients – Pictures Containing Children Please Pixelate Face Prior To Publication*
TFG likely won’t return to Twitter. Isn’t he invested in the Truth Social thing? Twitter is the competition.
But isn’t Truth Social in worse financial shape that Twitter???
Odds are he’ll be back on Twitter by the end of the week. He likes the attention too much and doesn’t get nearly the headlines or engagement on TS.
And yes, once again the orange one is skipping out on paying his bills so TS is a financial mess. IIRC they were getting to sell or raise $$ and no one was interested, valuation went way down.
I doubt Trump is “allowed” to use Twitter. The people funding Truth Social had to force Trump to use it. He was supposed to be the main draw after all. He refused to use it for months. I bet that his financial backers would not let him post on Twitter.
Also I think his ego won’t allow it. Going back to Twitter means it’s better than his company that he started. Even if he’s desperate to get back on, I’m not sure he would.
He has a contract that anything he posts has to be on TS for 6 hours first, unless it’s campaign or political, which he would easily be able to use to excuse his incitement of violence.
They are both struggling and I think somehow they will combine the two platforms.
I just want trump gone but unfortunately He is a moneymaker pulling people who want to read his wack so I think he is staying and they will make this work.
My “favorite” part of all this is Elon was too much of a coward to own the decision so it put it up for a vote from Twitter users. He has done everything else at that company unilaterally but on this he acted all benevolent and “power to the people”
He’s such a weapons grade chode.
Yeah, the poll was ridiculous. I am becoming increasingly convinced he is deliberately tanking the platform because it’s so pro-democracy. Or if not deliberately, at least not really actively trying to manage it in any effective way it because he cannot handle the mockery and criticism that’s been directed at him. The parallels in his behavior with Trump are disturbing,
@Orangeowl the platform has been very helpful spreading word not only of global crises but also in helping advance protests against autocratic regimes. The Saudis are the #2 investor in Twitter working w/Musk (who’s pretty cozy w/Russia too) so you’re probably right about Musk being happy to tank it while having his easily bruised, over-inflated ego stroked by all of his Stans
I mean it *could* very well be deliberate. But my honest assessment is he is just a full tilt narcissist, just like Trump – thats why youre noting similarities. He is not qualified to run this company, but since he cant admit that, he is making mistake after mistake, but cant admit they’re mistakes, and/or blames others.
He will run the company into the ground before he admits he is incapable.
“weapons grade chode” made me snort out my coffee. Perfection.
The only thing that bothers me is if he runs in 2024, and loses, he will point to this twitter poll as evidence of voter fraud.
Musk also gave Kanye a big welcome back and, of course, on Trans Remembrance Day when there was a deadly shooting at a LGTBQ+ bar, Musk also reinstated accounts of anti-LGTBQ folks like James Lindsay (the guy who started the “groomer” BS)
So much for that “committee” (like there’s staff left for that anyway). He probably fudged that poll too.
Elon Musk taking over Twitter (among other things) is an absolute dumpster fire. I would very much appreciate if the groveling phone calls to advertisers leaked.
Honestly, having Trump’s inane, racist, hateful trolling on mainstream display can only be good for democrats in 2024.
Careful. We’ve heard that one before…
That’s valid, but the republicans are doing the most to sweep him under the rug right now. The murdochs are burying him. Let him yap on twitter and make every republican candidate accountable for his takes. Pin them like bugs.
Well, Musk’s only hope now is to make Twitter a sort of reserve for deplorables, a rightist pet project. There’s some market in that, and they’ll probably tolerate outages and poor service for the pleasure of “owing the libs”.
There’s a reason all of the right wing platforms fail. Because, although there might be an audience for them, advertisers are not keen. Brand safety and suitability is everything. No one wants their ads next to Nazi stuff, white supremacy and insurrection. They might get a few far right owned brands advertising and some SMBs; but that’s not enough to run a platform. Elon Musk is learning this now.
I don’t think people realise how much these rich tech bro’s want fascism. Peter thiel and Elon Musk have the same narcissistic affinity and it wouldn’t surprise me if they are really said we planned this new world order, we just dumbly didn’t realise how easily it all was to achieve, might is right, blood and soil, let chaos reign…
Truer words never written. For the richest people on the planet, “left” and “right” don’t mean a thing.
As soon as I read that I deactivated my account. I’m hoping there will be a mass exodus, he loses all the advertisers and on top of that the systems fail because he fired everyone or they quit.
Jack White went off on Elon and his cowardice and corruption on Instagram. I wish more influential people would join in with this position.
Jack White is BAE anyway but this makes him even more so.
I deleted the app this morning. I don’t have the strength for all that negative energy anymore. Elon is almost as self-destructive as Ye.
My prediction; Donald Trump will be indicted before 2024. He may not go to jail, but he will be banned from public office.
From your lips to God’s ears.
This is a safe prediction. The newly appointed Special Master is a doozy. He’s returning from the Netherlands where he was prosecuting war crimes at The Hague. His specialties are in public corruption cases, national security violations, it’s a long list. He’s not flying home for a non-event. Plus he’s fast and is known to quickly react in complicated cases. DOJ has begun its endgame.
It still won’t be good enough for the average Parler Puta. These individuals need every librul audience they can find.
I deactivated my account last week. I never spent much time there any way so I saw no need to keep the account.
I’m staying on until my favorites finally leave but it’s been a joke to watch Elon grovel for advertisers while shit-posting and trolling any account that offers criticism. The “poll” like all things right wing was rigged. But he’s bathing in the tongue baths from the fanboys who insist that “he has a plan.” It’s an epic incel dumpster fire.
I don’t know if anyone who’s still on the platform noticed but large accounts discovered that they were automatically following Cheeto Fascismo, which is how he got the largest group of followers evah on the platform. Elon is truly trying to make fetch happen with this. I had to go check that I wasn’t inadvertently following (not important enough for Twitter to force me to) and automatically blocked him.
The only thing I can hope for is indictments or for that Big Mac diet to finally take the orange one down. If he destroys the Republican party on his way down – great. I’ll make popcorn.
I want Elon to to go bankrupt so badly. And PLEASE leave our country.