Trump poised for return to Twitter as Musk takes over
ELON Musk is set to welcome Donald Trump back to Twitter after completing his £38billion takeover of the social media site.
The Tesla CEO now plans to reverse the former US president’s lifetime ban after announcing his successful acquisition of the company.
Musk triumphantly posted about his purchase, tweeting “the bird is freed”. He immediately fired several top executives in what is being seen as his first power move.
Parag Agrawal, the site’s chief executive, Ned Segal, the chief financial officer, and lawyer Vijaya Gadde were culled just hours after the world’s richest man completed the buyout.
Sean Edgett, the company’s general counsel, was also pushed out, according to US reports.
Renege
The executives were hastily escorted out of the company’s San Francisco headquarters.
Musk has publicly criticised the company’s outgoing management over decisions and content moderation. He also said he would reinstate Trump’s account.
The new owner tweeted on Thursday: “Twitter obviously cannot become a free-for-all hellscape where anything can be said with no consequences.”
Later that evening, he tweeted: “The bird is freed.”
The closure of the deal ended a months-long, rollercoaster saga in which the billionaire conducted a hostile takeover to buy Twitter at an inflated price, only to renege on the deal and then enter into a bitter legal battle with the firm.
But, following his takeover, the South African appeared enthusiastic about his impending ownership.
He was videoed at the company’s offices unexpectedly on Wednesday, carrying a bathroom basin to suggest that the message he had become owner needed to “sink in”.
Trump’s potential return to Twitter would come despite the former president saying he would not go back to the site.
He had said he would remain on his own Twitter-like site Truth Social, which has struggled to gain users.
In April, Trump said: “I am not going on Twitter, I am going to stay on Truth. I hope Elon buys Twitter because he’ll make improvements to it and he is a good man. But I am going to be staying on Truth.”
However, insiders say the former US leader is poised to return knowing the platform is his greatest way of speaking directly to the American public.
Musk’s purchase of Twitter could have serious implications for next month’s mid-term elections if Trump is reinstated as soon as next week.
The former president was banned for life from Facebook and Twitter after the deadly Capitol riot last year over concerns about a possible incitement of violence.
Some Right-wing influencers who celebrated Musk’s ownership have seen their follower counts balloon since he announced his takeover, it was said.