Elon Musk is dismayed Donald Trump still barred from Twitter: report

Banned individuals have already asked when they would get their accounts back after the Tesla chief acquired the social media platform
The former US president, however, said he will not return to Twitter and instead use his new TRUTH social app

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Business Insider

Published: 8:30pm, 30 Apr 2022

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Elon Musk is dismayed that former US president Donald Trump is still barred from Twitter, people who recently spoke to the tech mogul told The Wall Street Journal.

Ever since Tesla and SpaceX’s CEO made an offer to buy Twitter for US$44 billion, which the company’s board accepted on April 25, banned individuals have already asked when they would get their accounts back.

Trump, however, said in an interview with Fox News that he won’t be returning to Twitter. Instead, he would join his own new social network, TRUTH social.

He said: “I hope Elon buys Twitter because he’ll make improvements to it and he is a good man, but I am going to be staying on TRUTH.”

“The bottom line is, no, I am not going back to Twitter,” Trump added.

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Trump was banned from the platform in January 2021, after a mob of his supporters attempted to stop the certification of the 2020 election by storming the US capitol. His tweets had repeatedly violated Twitter’s rules against spreading disinformation, instigating violence, and during the Covid-19 pandemic, spreading false information about the disease.

Both the former president and Musk have written many controversial tweets during their time on the platform.

Musk believes he can fix Twitter and dubbed himself a “free speech absolutist.” But as Insider reported, he has previously threatened to sue bloggers for critical coverage and fired employees for disagreeing with him.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Photo: AFP/Getty Images/TNS

Insider reached out to Trump’s post-presidential office but did not immediately receive a response.

Trump told Fox News: “We’re taking in millions of people, and what we’re finding is that the response on TRUTH is much better than being on Twitter.”

He added: “Twitter has bots and fake accounts, and we are doing everything we can.”

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