Elon Musk says no decision made yet to allow Trump back on Twitter – as he reinstates Kathy Griffin
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Elon Musk said he has not yet made a decision to reinstate Donald Trump on Twitter, despite allowing Kathy Griffin, Jordan Peterson and The Babylon Bee back on the social media platform.
Calling him “Freedom Friday,” the Chief Twit announced that Griffin, who had called him an “a******,” would be reinstated on social media after she was suspended last week for engaging in before him on Twitter.
Also back was conservative author and psychologist Dr. Peterson, who was suspended from the platform after saying transgender star Elliot Page had his breasts removed by a “criminal doctor.”
The Babylon Bee — whose account was restricted in March for naming U.S. Assistant Secretary of Health Rachel Levine, a transgender woman, “Man of the Year” — was also given full access to its account.
Musk has been widely critical of Twitter’s suspension policy, and after his $44 billion takeover, vowed to bring back prominent figures — such as Donald Trump, who was booted off the platform for statements following the January 6 riot at the Capitol.
The CEO’s latest announcement comes as the company lost 1,200 employees who refused Musk’s ultimatum to stick to a new “hardcore” work environment or to resign.
Elon Musk said the accounts for comedian Kathy Griffin, Dr. Jordan Peterson & The Babylon Bee satire site has been restored. However, no decision has yet been made on Donald Trump
Musk added that Twitter will be a platform for free speech, but hate tweets will be demonetized and go unseen by many
The latest CEO announcement comes as the company lost 1,200 employees who refused Musk’s ultimatum to stick to a new ‘hardcore’ work environment or resign
Kathy Griffin (left) was suspended last week for posing as Musk on Twitter. Jordan Peterson (right) was suspended after saying transgender star Elliot Page had his breasts removed by a ‘criminal doctor’
In addition to reinstating the three accounts, Musk, who describes himself as a free-speech advocate, outlined the company’s latest policy on that issue.
“New Twitter policy is freedom of speech, not freedom of speech,” Musk tweeted. Negative/hate tweets are deboosted and demonetized to the max, so no ads or other revenue for Twitter.
“You won’t find the tweet unless you specifically look for it, which is no different than on the rest of the internet.”
The Chief Twit added, “Note, this only applies to the individual tweet, not the entire account.”
After recovering, Peterson tweeted a photo of Jack Nicholson from The Shining and wrote, I’m back. Thanks @elonmusk.’
The Babylon Bee, a conservative Christian satire site, which was only able to post to its account after deleting the offending tweet, also thanked Musk.
‘We are back. Let that sink in,” the site tweeted, referring to Musk’s comments following his takeover of Twitter.
Jordan and the Babylon Bee tweeted their return with a nod to Elon Musk
In response, Griffin went down on Musk from her late mother’s account on Sunday night, calling him an “a**hole” for joking that she was “suspended for posing as a comedian”
After his acquisition of Twitter for $44 billion, Musk said that “no major content decisions or account recovery will take place” without the approval of a new content moderation board that has “widely differing views.”
In addition to Trump, the big names that have booted off Twitter include Roger Stone, Alex Jones, Steve Bannon, and U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Stone has said he wants to come back after being suspended in 2017 for assaulting a journalist.
He was briefly back on Twitter in April, using an alternate account, saying he was “afraid to see how strong Elon Musk’s commitment to free speech is.”
Steve Bannon is another former Trump adviser looking to return to the platform after being kicked out in 2020.
The former White House chief strategist had posted a video suggesting that Dr. Anthony Fauci and FBI Director Christopher Wray should be beheaded.
Musk is expected to bring back former President Donald Trump’s Twitter account after he was kicked off the site over posts posted after the January 6 riot at the Capitol. The two are pictured here in the Oval Office of the White House
In his statement, Trump both welcomed Musk’s arrival on Twitter as he attempted to boost his own social media fortunes
Those expected to be returned to Twitter under Musk include former Trump advisers Roger Stone (left) and Steve Bannon (right), who booted from the platform in 2017 and 2020 respectively
One of the more controversial figures being booted from the platform is InfoWars host Alex Jones, who was ordered to pay $95 million in damages over false claims that the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax.
Families of the victims labeled Jones a conspiracy theorist whose claims have led to years of harassment and even death threats from his believers.
U.S. Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene also saw her personal account permanently suspended earlier this year after spreading misinformation about the COVID vaccine.
The congresswoman had received several warnings before her account was revoked.
Also banned from Twitter are David Duke, the former great wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, as well as Milo Yiannopoulous, who was accused of inciting the abuse of Ghostbusters actress Leslie Jones.
Trump has said he has no plans to return to Twitter after creating his own social media site Truth Social.
Meanwhile, the mass exodus didn’t seem to faze the billionaire CEO. who claimed that Twitter usage ‘just hit another all-time high’
As chaos reigned after rumors it would shut down due to the mass exodus, Musk tweeted, “What should Twitter do now?”
When it reinstated the accounts, Twitter reportedly lost several “critical” tech teams following a mass exodus that saw headcount cut by 32 percent following Chief Twit Elon Musk’s ultimatum to promise to choose a “hardcore” work environment or to resign. to take.
Musk sent an email to his remaining 3,700 employees on Wednesday, giving them a deadline at 5 p.m. ET on Thursday to either click a link to confirm their willingness to work “long, high-intensity hours” or leave the company with a severance payment of three months.
While it remains unclear exactly how many have confirmed their resignations, Fortune between 1,000 and 1,200 employees are estimated to have resigned so far, with Musk demanding that all remaining coders show up at Twitter’s headquarters in San Francisco on Friday.
On Twitter, Musk seemed unfazed by the massive layoffs, claiming that usage of the site had simply “reached another all-time high.” “Let that sink in.”
As chaos reigned after rumors it shut down due to the mass exodus, Musk added, “What should Twitter do now?”
Matthew Miller (bottom left), shared a viral video of himself and colleagues counting down to no longer working for the company after Musk’s deadline
A former Twitter executive who recently left the company told CNN’s Oliver Darcy (above) that “[Twitter] will struggle to keep the lights on’
Many shared their departure on social media, including a viral video from Boston as workers counted down their final seconds on Twitter.
Matthew Miller, whose LinkedIn profile lists him as a Twitter engineer for 9 years, shared the video of himself and colleagues counting down to no longer working for the company after Musk’s deadline.
“Happy New Year,” Miller shouted into Twitter’s Boston office. ‘Yes! Hurrah! That suits the circumstances.’
After the deadline, a former Twitter executive who recently left the company told CNN’s Oliver Darcy that, “Elon is learning he can’t bully top senior talent. They have many options and will not put up with his antics.
‘[Twitter] will struggle to keep the lights on.”