Elon Musk starts Twitter poll on reinstating Donald Trump

Musk’s decision to ask Twitter users for guidance on who should be on the platform is part of a huge restructuring of the company

The former president’s Twitter account was suspended after last year’s attack on the US Capitol

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Former US president Donald Trump. Photo: AP

Published: 11:30am, 19 Nov 2022

Elon Musk started a Twitter poll late on Friday asking followers to vote on whether to reinstate former US president Donald Trump’s account on the platform, with early results showing roughly 60 per cent voting yes.

“Vox Populi, Vox Dei,” Musk tweeted, a Latin phrase that roughly means meaning “the voice of the people is the voice of God.” The poll was open for 24 hours.

Musk, Twitter’s new owner, said in May he would reverse Twitter’s ban on Trump, whose account was suspended after last year’s attack on the US Capitol.

Musk said earlier in the day that a decision to bring back Trump’s account was yet to be made, and that Twitter had reinstated some controversial accounts that had been banned or suspended, including satirical website Babylon Bee and comedian Kathy Griffin.

Musk’s decision to ask Twitter users for guidance on who should be on the platform is part of a huge restructuring of the company, including massive lay-offs.

In a memo on Friday to remaining employees that was seen by Reuters, Musk asked those who write software code to report to the 10th floor of the Twitter’s headquarters in San Francisco by early afternoon.