Elon Musk reinstated Donald Trump’s account on Twitter on Saturday, reversing a ban that has kept the former president off the social media app for two years.
Trump was banned following a pro-Trump mob attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, as Congress was poised to certify Joe Biden’s election victory.
Musk made a promise to reinstate President Trump back to Twitter when he buys out the social media app. Musk had said also said Twitter would establish new procedures and a “content moderation council” before making decisions to restore suspended accounts.
Musk made the announcement on Saturday evening following a poll where he had asked Twitter users to click “yes” or “no” on whether Trump’s account should be restored. The “yes” vote won, with 51.8 per cent.
Shortly after the announcement, Trump’s account was restored complete with his former tweets but without followers. He however garnered over 2 million followers in just an hour after his account restoration.
It is not clear whether Trump would actually return to Twitter. He had said in the past that he would not rejoin even if his account was reinstated. He has been relying on his own, much smaller social media site, Truth Social, which he launched after being blocked from Twitter.
In a video speech to a Republican Jewish group meeting in Las Vegas according to Standard Digital, Trump said that he was aware of Musk’s poll but that he saw “a lot of problems at Twitter.” “I hear we’re getting a big vote to also go back on Twitter. I don’t see it because I don’t see any reason for it,” Trump said. “It may make it, it may not make it,” he added, apparently referring to Twitter’s recent internal upheavals.
Musk has frequently expressed his belief that Twitter had become too restrictive of freewheeling speech thus the prompt attempt to reinstate those who have been banned on the platform.