Would reverse Twitter’s ban of Donald Trump: Elon Musk

Washington, May 11: Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk said he would reverse Twitter's permanent ban of former President Donald Trump if the he follows through with his plan to buy the social media company.

Musk, speaking virtually at a Future of the Car summit hosted by the Financial Times, said Twitter's Trump ban was a "morally bad decision" and "foolish in the extreme."

"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," Musk said at a Future of the Car summit hosted by the Financial Times.

"I think that was a mistake, because it alienated a large part of the country and did not ultimately result in Donald Trump not having a voice," he added.

"I would reverse the permanent ban," added Musk.

Twitter suspended Trump after the Jan. 6, 2021, insurrection, in which his followers violently stormed the Capitol building in an attempt to block Congress from certifying Joe Biden's presidential win. The companies cited concerns he would incite further violence.

Trump has started his own social network, Truth Social. He said last week that he wouldn't rejoin Twitter if given the chance.

"I am not going on Twitter, I am going to stay on Truth," Trump told Fox News. "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. The bottom line is, no, I am not going back to Twitter."