--- title: "Welp, Elon Musk Says He’s Gonna Unban Trump on Twitter" description: "Permabanned To the shock and awe of very few, Elon Musk has announced that when and if he takes the reins of Twitter, he would reverse the ban on Donald Trump’s account. “I think that was a mistake because it alienated a large part of the country,” Musk said while giving a remote speech at […]" date: "2022-05-10" modified: "2022-05-10" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/elon-says-unban-trump" categories: - "Elon Musk" - "Future Society" - "The Industrialists" tags: - "elon musk" - "the digest" - "trump" - "twitter" --- # Welp, Elon Musk Says He’s Gonna Unban Trump on Twitter ![Elon Musk has announced that when and if he takes the reins of Twitter, he would reverse the ban on Donald Trump's account.]() *LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY - MAY 07: Former U.S. President Donald Trump attends the 148th running of the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs on May 07, 2022 in Louisville, Kentucky. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) \Image: Getty Images\* ## Permabanned To the shock and awe of very few, SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has announced that when — [or if]() — he takes the reins of Twitter, he would reverse the ban on former president Donald Trump's account. "I think that was a mistake because it alienated a large part of the country," Musk said during [remote remarks at the *Financial Times*' Future of the Car summit](), "and did not ultimately result in Donald Trump not having a voice." "I would reverse the permaban," he noted before adding that "obviously I don’t own Twitter yet, so this is not a thing that will definitely happen." ## Don Musk The Tesla and SpaceX CEO had choice words about the company's decision to ban the then-outgoing president after he appeared to encourage insurrectionists who stormed the US Capitol building, calling the ban both "morally wrong" and "flat-out stupid." "It doesn’t end Trump’s voice," Musk said. "It will amplify it among the right." Along with his claim that he'd bring the former president back to the platform, Musk also said that he's interested in reducing what he called a "left-leaning bias" on the social network. "They’re just coming at it from an environment that is very far left," he said of Twitter users. "But it fails to build trust in the rest of the United States and perhaps other parts of the world.” Naturally, folks on the site that Musk may soon own had a lot to say about the whole debacle. Here's some of the best reactions below. ## Hot Hot Hot https://twitter.com/KingJosiah54/status/1524091815514632192 This video pretty much sums up what Twitter will be like if and when Musk lets Trump come back (and, of course, if the notoriously grudge-holding former president [deigns to return]()). ## Ain't That Deep https://twitter.com/karaswisher/status/1524095703076814853 As the erstwhile Trump reply guy Krassenstein brothers would have said, "[BOOM]()!" ## All Growed Up https://twitter.com/MikeRMardis/status/1524100035448754176 That's a theory! ## The Bigger Picture https://twitter.com/evan\_greer/status/1524098191293046791 Once again, people will miss the forest for the trees when it comes to the controversial banning of the former president. This brings it back down to Earth. **More on Elon's Twitter:** [*Twitter Bots Love Tesla. Elon Musk Is Pledging to Destroy Them*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()