Even if Musk offered Trump his account back, he wouldn't be interested. Trump claims he's focused on sticking it out on Truth Social.
On Monday, the company announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Musk, which will result in the company becoming a privately held company. In an interview with Fox News, Trump said that Musk's deal to acquire Twitter would mark an improvement, but wouldn't sway him to quit Truth Social.
I am not going on the social networking site, but I will stay on the news.
The former president hasn't even technically signed up for his own social media app yet. After holding out for more than a month, Trump now says he will start. Last year, Trump's name was attached to a disaster-like blog which was shut down after less than a month after abysmal sign ups. Trump says things are different this time.
The response on TRUTH is better than being on TWITTER, according to Trump.
There is uncertainty over whether Musk's recent non sequiturs over free speech and content moderation will result in the reinstating of Trump's account. Following the attacks on the U.S. Capitol, the former president was deplatformed from every major internet platform. In true Musk fashion, rather than say one way or another his plan for Trump's account, Musk opted to post a cryptic Tweet, writing, "I hope that even my worst critics remain on Twitter, because that is what free speech means." Gizmodo's request for comment was not immediately responded to.
It's less exciting than when he was using the platform, so he probably wouldn't have any interest in returning to it.
Trump said that the social media site has become boring.
Until you get in there and get that company and wipe out everything that's been happening there for the last several years, I just don't see it as a PR wire.
TMTG didn't reply to the request for comment.
Many commenters and activists worry that Musk's commitment to his interpretation of free speech may translate to less content moderation and more harassment.
The group Media Matters sent a statement to Gizmodo that warned of potential dark times ahead under Musk's leadership.
It will open the floodgates of hate and lies and use the position of a market leader to do so. The race begins.
UltraViolet is concerned that the new moderation policies on social media could result in increased harassment for marginalized groups.
If this deal goes through, Musk would open the door to hate and baseless conspiracy theories, and the community standards would be lost. Threats of violence against Black women and women of color would increase. Donald Trump would likely be replatformed, where he could continue spreading misinformation and inciting violence to millions of people.
It is possible that changes to the moderation approaches of the social media site could be detrimental to the plans of the president. It would make Trump's business model irrelevant if anything went on on the internet.
Trump Media and Technology Group, which at one time had an absurd implied valuation of $19 billion, promised to create a free speech focused, right-wing friendly digital ecosystems capable of taking on some of the biggest names in tech. The logic ceases to apply if the policies on speech and moderation are loosened. Republican internet users who might seek salvation in Truth Social or other right wing sites are in favor of many of Musk's proposals.
There are signs that Musk's takeover of Twitter has spooked the president. Digital World Acquisition Corporation, the special purpose acquisition company that is partnering with Trump Media and Technology Group, saw its shares plummet on Monday in anticipation of Musk's deal. DWAC's trading at its lowest point since the Trump team announced their partnership with the company around six months ago. CNN notes that DWAC has lost around 44% of its value since Musk revealed he had amassed a large stage in Twitter.
Trump told Fox he welcomes the competition and doesn't see a problem.
The more we can have open, the better, according to Trump.
It's something nobody else can get, and that's what Truth Social will be for me.
If Trump is true to his words, it could cause trouble for smaller right-wing aligned social media sites that have been trying to get the former president on their platform.
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