Even if Twitter overturns its decision to ban Donald Trump's lifetime ban following Elon Musk's buyout, the former U.S. president insists he won't be returning on the platform. Instead, he'll use his own Truth Social network instead of the platform where he was banned owing to the deadly Jan. 6 insurgency.
Trump made the remarks to Fox News on Monday following news that the Telsa CEO had struck a deal to buy the social media network for $44 billion
After the tragic Capitol Hill riot on Jan. 6, 2021, Twitter decided it will permanently ban Trump "due to the potential of further incitement of violence." The ban eventually prompted him to establish his own social media company, Truth Social, albeit he has yet to use it for communication.
Musk has also stated that his takeover of the "de-facto town square" was motivated by free speech rather than money. Whether or not he will enable the past president back into that arena remains to be seen.
Musk's purchase of Twitter has fueled speculation that the company's moderation policies will be relaxed. The executive, who also operates SpaceX, has described himself as a "free speech absolutist." Musk described Twitter as a "digital town square" and stated that "free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy" in a press release.
The First Amendment's protection of free speech only applies to the state's censorship of speech.
After Trump encouraged his followers to march on the US, Twitter permanently banned his account in January 2021, citing guidelines against encouraging violence. in a deadly attempt to prevent President Joe Biden's Electoral College votes from being counted. Trump is also barred on Meta Platform Inc.'s Facebook page.
Trump stated that Truth Social will be "a platform for my voice and my supporters," and that he does not believe Musk's Twitter will be a competitor. "In our country, we want liberty, justice, and fairness, and the more open we can be, the better."
Truth Social had a rocky start when it first launched in February, but it still topped Apple's free app charts the week it was released. A duo of top executives left the company, which was led by Devin Nunes, a state representative, and Trump supporter.
On the news, shares of Truth social fell sharply, plunging more than 12% on the day. Since Musk announced his intent to purchase Twitter, the share value of the would-be social-media competing product has decreased dramatically.
