It’s a gift from hell for President Joe Biden on the eve of his 80th birthday. But it’s unclear whether the timing is intentional or just a coincidence.
Chief Twit Elon Musk said former US President Donald Trump’s Twitter account will be reinstated by popular demand.
Musk made the call after conducting a live poll on Twitter where more than 15 million people voted 51.8 percent to 48.2 percent to lift the ban on Trump’s Twitter account.
“The people have spoken. Trump will be reinstated. Vox Populi, Vox Dei,” (Latin for the voice of the people, the voice of God) Musk tweeted.
But some view the poll as just a cover for Musk to reinstate Trump without backlash, while he planned to bring him back all along.
Before owning Twitter, Musk had criticized banning Trump, calling the decision “foolish in the extreme,” according to media reports.
Some on Twitter are also puzzled that Musk decided to use an online poll in making his decision despite promising the decision to restore suspended accounts would be done by a panel.
In late October, Musk said Twitter “will be forming a content moderation council with widely diverse viewpoints.” And that “no major content decisions or account reinstatements will happen before that council convenes.”
He may have changed his mind and opted for a poll.
AP reports Trump said he was aware of the poll.
“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 was quoted as saying by Bloomberg. “It may make it, it may not make it,” he added, apparently referring to Twitter’s recent internal upheavals, according to AP.
The people have spoken.
Trump will be reinstated.
Vox Populi, Vox Dei. https://t.co/jmkhFuyfkv
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 20, 2022
Twitter permanently suspended Trump on January 8, 2021, after they found his tweets incited his supporters to raid the US Capitol in a failed attempt to stop the certification of President Joes Biden’s election.
The move to reinstate Trump’s account comes amid a chaotic transition of Twitter management after Musk took over as owner. Media reports indicate that Musk has fired almost 75 percent of Twitter’s original staff and demanded those left to get “extreme hardcore” and work long hours to do what it takes to get Twitter in line with Musk’s vision.
The decision to return for Trump would be a complicated one. He started Truth Social as an outlet to release his statements to supporters after Twitter banned him.
But his reach has been limited to just his supporters. The company is also dogged by federal investigations that threaten its future.
The question now is whether Trump would abandon Truth Social for Twitter.
Currently facing numerous investigations, Trump announced Tuesday that he’s running for president. His announcement came almost two years earlier than is traditional, making observers conclude the move is geared toward undermining investigations into him.
Trump’s harsh critic Congresswoman Liz Cheney reacted to the news about Trump’s reinstatement with a tweet reminding the world about all the former president’s tweets leading up to the January 6 insurrection.
“With Trump back on Twitter, it’s a good time to watch this January 6 hearing. It covers each of Trump’s tweets that day, including those that have been deleted, and features multiple Trump WH staff describing his inexcusable conduct during the violence,” Cheney tweeted.
With Trump back on Twitter,
it’s a good time to watch this Jan 6 hearing. It covers each of Trump’s tweets that day, including those that have been deleted, and features multiple Trump WH staff describing his inexcusable conduct during the violence. https://t.co/pVSGKf5q0P— Rep. Liz Cheney (@RepLizCheney) November 20, 2022
While Musk has agreed to restore Trump’s account, he declined with a hard “No” when a user asked him to reinstate conspiracy theorist Alex Jones’ account.
Reinstate former President Trump
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 19, 2022
Click here to read the AP report.