New Twitter owner Elon Musk said Wednesday that it would be “a few more weeks” before any banned accounts — such as that of former US president Donald Trump — may be restored on the platform.
Twitter users have been watching closely to see whether Musk will reinstate Trump, banned for inciting last year’s attack on the Capitol by a mob seeking to overturn the results of the 2020 election, and other deplatformed users.
The potential reinstatement of such accounts banned for violating the site’s content moderation rules has been seen as a bellwether of where Musk, a self-described “free speech absolutist,” wants to take the site he describes as a global town square.
But on Wednesday the South African billionaire said the wait will have to continue a little longer.
“Twitter will not allow anyone who was de-platformed for violating Twitter rules back on platform until we have a clear process for doing so, which will take at least a few more weeks,” he tweeted.
That means after crucial November 8 midterm elections in the United States, which will determine control of Congress. Trump, once a prolific tweeter, retains a powerful hold on his Republican Party, and has reopened his 2020 playbook by questioning the integrity of the upcoming election.
Since Musk took Twitter private last week, Trump has suggested he would be happier sticking with his own Truth Social messaging platform.
