‘Shame on you’: Journalists and celebrities revolt at Trump’s reinstatement to Twitter
Cami Mondeaux
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Several celebrities and prominent journalists are hitting out against billionaire Elon Musk for his decision to reinstate former President Donald Trump’s Twitter account, with many leaving the platform in protest.
Musk restored access to Trump’s account on Saturday after a Twitter poll overwhelmingly voted in favor of doing so, resurrecting the page after nearly two years of inactivity after the former president was banned in the fallout of the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. The decision was met with mixed reactions as some praised the return and others denounced it. Meanwhile, Trump said he has no plans to sign back on.
ELON MUSK REINSTATES TRUMP’S BANNED TWITTER ACCOUNT
“I don’t see any reason for it,” Trump said. “Truth Social has taken the place for a lot of people, and I don’t see them going back onto Twitter.”
Trump’s account was suspended in January 2021 during the fallout of the Capitol riot, prompting criticism from many on the platform once his account was revived.
“Idk man, last time he was here this platform was used to incite an insurrection, multiple people died, the Vice President of the United States was nearly assassinated, and hundreds were injured but I guess that’s not enough for you to answer the question. Twitter poll it is,” said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) in a tweet.
The decision also drew criticism from the NAACP, who called on advertisers to pull their support from the platform in response to the decision.
“In Elon Musk’s Twittersphere, you can incite an insurrection at the U.S. Capitol, which led to the deaths of multiple people, and still be allowed to spew hate speech and violent conspiracies on his platform,” the organization said in a statement. “If Elon Musk continues to run Twitter like this, using garbage polls that do not represent the American people and the needs of our democracy, God help us all.”
Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), who serves as the vice chairwoman of the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack, also responded to Trump’s reinstatement, encouraging her followers to remember the former president’s conduct during the Capitol riot.
“With Trump back on Twitter, it’s a good time to watch this Jan 6 hearing,” she said in a tweet. “It covers each of Trump’s tweets that day, including those that have been deleted, and features multiple Trump WH staff describing his inexcusable conduct during the violence.”
Some prominent journalists also reacted to the news, criticizing Musk’s decision as “meaningless” and potentially affected by foreign agents.
“I think these polls are mostly a gimmick, and I would argue the people haven’t spoken, the GRU has spoken,” said Scott Galloway, an author and public speaker, on CBS News’s Face the Nation, referring to a Russian military intelligence service. “Twitter has become a playground for bad actors and fake bots, this poll is meaningless, this decision is meaningless.”
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Others who were fed up with the reinstatement decided to leave the platform altogether, announcing they would be deleting their accounts in response.
“Shame on you for giving [Trump] and other professional liars the platform you are now in control of, and shame on anyone who does,” musician Jack White wrote in an Instagram post on Sunday, announcing he would deactivate the Twitter account of his record label Third Man Records. “And shame on you if you think it’s no big deal. It is.”