Social media users have claimed former US president Donald Trump returned to Twitter hours after Elon Musk completed his multibillion-dollar acquisition of the platform.
Screenshots of a tweet from an account purportedly owned by Trump have been shared widely on Facebook and Instagram (see here, here, here and here).
“Thank you @elonmusk ! Feels great to be back. Hope all the haters and losers have missed me!” the tweet reads.
However, the claim is false. The tweet is from a parody account and Trump remains suspended from the social media platform as of November 1.
Twitter confirmed Musk had acquired the company in a filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission on October 27.
The original tweet was posted a day later on October 28 by an account with the handle “@TheUltGmr”. The account’s bio says “we do a little trolling. (this is a parody)”.
Trump’s account was permanently suspended by Twitter on January 8, 2021, for statements he made following the US Capitol riot on January 6.
Twitter ruled his tweets violated its “Glorification of violence policy” and determined “the user @realDonaldTrump should be immediately permanently suspended from the service”.
As of November 1, his account was still showing as suspended.
Musk also tweeted on October 31, indicating he is yet to make a decision.
Musk has previously indicated he does not support permanent bans from Twitter. Speaking at a car technology conference in May, the Tesla CEO said he would restore Trump’s account if he successfully acquired the company.
“I do think it was not correct to ban Donald Trump, I think that was a mistake,” he said. “I would reverse the perma-ban…”
However, in an October 29 tweet, Musk said: “Twitter will be forming a content moderation council with widely diverse viewpoints. No major content decisions or account reinstatements will happen before that council convenes.”
AAP FactCheck contacted Twitter for comment but is yet to receive a response.
Similar posts claiming Trump has returned to Twitter have been debunked here, here and here.
The Verdict
The claim Elon Musk restored Donald Trump’s Twitter account hours after buying the social media company is false. The tweet purporting to be Trump is from a parody account.
Trump remains suspended from the platform as of November 1.
False – The claim is inaccurate.
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