Billionaire businessman Elon Musk said he would reverse Twitter’s permanent ban on former US president Donald Trump if his acquisition of the social media platform was successfully completed.
The Tesla chief executive said last year’s banning of Mr Trump was a “mistake” and a “morally bad decision”.
“Permanent bans should be extremely rare and really reserved for accounts that are bots, or scam, spam accounts … I do think it was not correct to ban Donald Trump,” Mr Musk said at a Future of the Car event hosted by the Financial Times.
“It was a morally bad decision to be clear, and foolish in the extreme. … I do think it was not correct to ban Donald Trump … I think that was a mistake … it alienated a large part of the country and did not ultimately result in Donald Trump not having a voice.
“I would reverse the permanent ban … I don’t own Twitter yet. So, this is not like a thing that will definitely happen, because what if I don’t own Twitter?"
Mr Musk's musings on Mr Trump may, however, be academic.
The former president, who has started his own social media company, said he would not return to Twitter.
“I like Elon Musk. I like him a lot. He’s an excellent individual … I was disappointed by the way I was treated by Twitter. I won’t be going back on Twitter,” he told CNBC last month.
Last month, Twitter entered a definitive agreement to be acquired by an entity wholly owned by Mr Musk, for $54.20 a share in cash.
Upon completion of the transaction, which is expected to be by the end of this year, Twitter will become a privately held company.
Eighteen investors have made commitments ranging from $850,000 to $1 billion to help Mr Musk finance this deal, a regulatory filing in the US Securities and Exchange Commission said.
The San Francisco-based microblogging site permanently suspended Mr Trump’s account in January 2021, citing “the risk of further incitement of violence” following the deadly Capitol insurrection.
The social platform was under immense pressure to take action against him after the mob attack at the US Capitol.
Twitter initially suspended Mr Trump's account for 12 hours after he posted a video that repeated unsubstantiated claims about election fraud and praised the rioters who stormed the Capitol.
At that time, he had more than 80 million followers on the public platform.
In July, Mr Trump announced filing lawsuits against Facebook (now Meta), Twitter and Google, and their chief executives. Mr Trump claimed that he has been wrongfully censored by the companies.
Mr Musk’s offer to buy Twitter came after frequent complaints about content censorship and a lack of free speech on the site.
In response to a poll he conducted on the platform, 70.4 per cent of users said Twitter did not stick to free speech principles, while 29.6 per cent supported the platform.
Following the announcement of his acquisition, Mr Musk tweeted: “I hope that even my worst critics remain on Twitter, because that is what free speech means.”
Uefa Nations League: How it works
The Uefa Nations League, introduced last year, has reached its final stage, to be played over five days in northern Portugal. The format of its closing tournament is compact, spread over two semi-finals, with the first, Portugal versus Switzerland in Porto on Wednesday evening, and the second, England against the Netherlands, in Guimaraes, on Thursday.
The winners of each semi will then meet at Porto’s Dragao stadium on Sunday, with the losing semi-finalists contesting a third-place play-off in Guimaraes earlier that day.
Qualifying for the final stage was via League A of the inaugural Nations League, in which the top 12 European countries according to Uefa's co-efficient seeding system were divided into four groups, the teams playing each other twice between September and November. Portugal, who finished above Italy and Poland, successfully bid to host the finals.
J%20Street%20Polling%20Results
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Biog:
Age: 34
Favourite superhero: Batman
Favourite sport: anything extreme
Favourite person: Muhammad Ali
UAE squad
Esha Oza (captain), Al Maseera Jahangir, Emily Thomas, Heena Hotchandani, Indhuja Nandakumar, Katie Thompson, Lavanya Keny, Mehak Thakur, Michelle Botha, Rinitha Rajith, Samaira Dharnidharka, Siya Gokhale, Sashikala Silva, Suraksha Kotte, Theertha Satish (wicketkeeper) Udeni Kuruppuarachchige, Vaishnave Mahesh.
UAE tour of Zimbabwe
All matches in Bulawayo
Friday, Sept 26 – First ODI
Sunday, Sept 28 – Second ODI
Tuesday, Sept 30 – Third ODI
Thursday, Oct 2 – Fourth ODI
Sunday, Oct 5 – First T20I
Monday, Oct 6 – Second T20I
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
The Specs
Price, base Dh379,000
Engine 2.9-litre, twin-turbo V6
Gearbox eight-speed automatic
Power 503bhp
Torque 443Nm
On sale now
More coverage from the Future Forum
The bio
Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
How do you relax?
Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
What is favourite English film?
Mamma Mia
Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?
If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.
The five pillars of Islam
1. Fasting
2. Prayer
3. Hajj
4. Shahada
5. Zakat
Ms Yang's top tips for parents new to the UAE
- Join parent networks
- Look beyond school fees
- Keep an open mind
Schedule:
Pakistan v Sri Lanka:
28 Sep-2 Oct, 1st Test, Abu Dhabi
6-10 Oct, 2nd Test (day-night), Dubai
13 Oct, 1st ODI, Dubai
16 Oct, 2nd ODI, Abu Dhabi
18 Oct, 3rd ODI, Abu Dhabi
20 Oct, 4th ODI, Sharjah
23 Oct, 5th ODI, Sharjah
26 Oct, 1st T20I, Abu Dhabi
27 Oct, 2nd T20I, Abu Dhabi
29 Oct, 3rd T20I, Lahore
Dubai Rugby Sevens, December 5 -7
World Sevens Series Pools
A – Fiji, France, Argentina, Japan
B – United States, Australia, Scotland, Ireland
C – New Zealand, Samoa, Canada, Wales
D – South Africa, England, Spain, Kenya
