Elon Musk ends Trump’s Twitter ban
TechCrunchDec 24, 2022
The Facts
With his eye on the 2024 election, former Pres. Trump is seeking to regain access to his Facebook account, which has been suspended for two years. Trump’s campaign has reportedly sent a formal petition to Facebook’s parent company Meta asking it to unblock his account.
Trump was banned from Twitter and Facebook following the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riots, with Twitter rendering a permanent suspension while Facebook said it would review Trump’s account in two years. New Twitter CEO Elon Musk reinstated Trump’s account last November.
The Spin
Democratic narrative
Trump is too dangerous to be given a platform to spew hatred and misinformation to hundreds of millions of people. The last time he was on Twitter and Facebook, he instigated an insurrection and attack on America's citadel of democracy. He had a chance but quickly proved he can't be trusted with a powerful platform.
Republican narrative
Trump cannot reasonably be held responsible for the Jan. 6 violence, and must be reinstated on Facebook as he campaigns in 2024. Free speech is the bedrock of the US political system and is America's most fundamental freedom. Tech oligarchs cannot be the ultimate arbiter of who gets to speak their minds — especially when it comes to political candidates.
Metaculus Prediction
Articles on this story
Sign Up for Our Free NewslettersSign Up for Our Free Newsletters
Sign Up!
Sign Up Now!