Trump Won't Rejoin Twitter, Despite Musk's Takeover and Promises of Free Speech

Former president Donald Trump has told his advisers that he won't rejoin Twitter, even if Elon Musk rescinds his ban as part of a $44 billion takeover of the company. Trump has taken to his own social media platform, Truth Social, which has staked its existence on the exclusive use of his online brand. However, Trump supporters have been celebrating Musk's interest in Twitter as a surprise blessing, hoping to overturn not just Trump's ban but what they argue is systemic censorship of conservatives across the platform. Despite Trump's claims of staying away from Twitter, many observers doubt he can resist the temptation to use a service that might again help him dominate the online conversation in the 2024 presidential race.

Key Takeaways:

• Trump has told his advisers that he won't rejoin Twitter, despite Musk's takeover and promises of free speech.
• Trump has taken to his own social media platform, Truth Social, which has a fan base of about 1% of his peak Twitter following.
• Musk's takeover of Twitter has inspired celebration among Trump supporters, who argue that it will help them regain their own banned accounts.
• The news has also pummeled the financial prospects of Truth Social, with the share price of Digital World Acquisition plummeting 13% after the deal was announced.
• Trump has been a late adopter of Truth Social, posting only once, two months ago, and has privately griped about the app's numerous problems.
• Conservative lawmakers and commentators are urging Musk to reinstate Trump's account and arguing that the deal could help them regain their own banned accounts.
• Trump's Twitter ban was a result of his actions after the U.S. Capitol riots, including boosting election-fraud conspiracy theories and encouraging fans to take direct action to keep Joe Biden from the White House.
• The move was followed by payments to private security guards by Trump allies to protect Black Lives Matter activists the night before the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol.
• The person familiar with the matter said Trump had not spoken with Musk in the lead-up to the deal, despite Musk's repeated claims that his goal is to safeguard the platform as a vehicle of free expression.
• Trump's advisors have been privately urging him to be cautious about tweeting on Truth Social, as they believe it may be detrimental to his public image and his ability to connect with potential voters.

Statistics:

• $44 billion: The value of Musk's takeover of Twitter.
• 13%: The drop in the share price of Digital World Acquisition after the deal was announced.
• 89 million: The number of followers Trump lost direct access to when he was banned from Twitter.
• 1%: The size of Truth Social's fan base compared to Trump's peak Twitter following.
• 2/3: The loss in value of Digital World Acquisition's share price since early March.
• 84 million: The number of followers Musk has on Twitter.

Sources:

• "Byline: Drew Harwell, Josh Dawsey and Craig Timberg, Former president Donald Trump has said he wouldn't rejoin Twitter, even if Elon Musk completes a $44 billion takeover of the company and rescinds his ban in the name of unfettered free speech." -
• "The former president has privately griped about the app's numerous problems, leading to the resignations of three top executives and regular visits from Nunes to Trump's Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach, Fla." -
• "The House Republicans tweeted to Musk directly that 'it's a great week to free @realDonaldTrump'" -
• "The share price of Digital World Acquisition, a blank-check company critical to taking Trump's company public, plunged 13% after news broke of the Musk deal Monday and has lost two-thirds of its value since early March." -