“I do think that it was not correct to ban Donald Trump. 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 is now going to be on Truth Social, as will a large part of the sort of Right in the United States,” Musk continued, referencing Trump’s new social media platform. “And so I think this could end up being, frankly, worse rather than having a single forum where everyone can debate.”
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“Now, that doesn’t mean that anybody gets to say whatever they want to say. If they say something that is illegal or otherwise…destructive to the world, then there should be perhaps a timeout, a temporary suspension, or that particular tweet should be made invisible or have very limited traction,” Musk clarified. “But I think permanent bans just fundamentally undermine trust in Twitter as a town square where everyone can voice their opinion.”
“I think it was a morally bad decision, to be clear, and foolish in the extreme,” Musk added regarding Trump’s lifetime ban from the platform.
When pressed about Trump’s tweets that incited physical violence on January 6, 2021, Musk said, “If there are tweets that are wrong and bad, those should be either deleted or made invisible, and a suspension—a temporary suspension—is appropriate, but not a permanent ban.”
Reiterating his earlier point, Musk said, “Banning Trump from Twitter didn’t end Trump’s voice. It will amplify it among the Right. And this is why it is morally wrong and flat out stupid.”
