Former US President Donald Trump said he would not return to Twitter even though his account was restored and his ban was lifted. Trump's comments come shortly after Elon Musk officially bought Twitter for $44 billion.
Questions about whether Trump will be allowed to return to Twitter arose after Musk announced his desire to buy the social media company and make it a platform for free speech. Musk also said he disagreed with a permanent ban and opted for a temporary suspension.
After Musk officially bought Twitter, speculation about Trump's return to his favorite social media platform resurfaced. But he doesn't seem interested and says he will join his social media called Truth Social.
"I'm not going to Twitter, I'm going to be on Truth," Trump told Fox News, as quoted by TechCrunch, Tuesday (26/4/2022).
"I hope Elon buys Twitter because he will bring improvement and he is a good person, but I will stay on Truth. The bottom line is, I will not return to Twitter," he continued.
Twitter permanently banned Trump in January 2021 after his supporters attacked the US Capitol Building to protest the results of the 2020 US presidential election.
Twitter said it took the decision after the January 6 riots because it feared further incitement to violence. At that time Trump had more than 80 million followers on Twitter.
Since being banned by Twitter, Trump founded his own social media called Truth Social which was launched last February. But the launch process was hit by various problems, and Trump has so far only uploaded one post on Truth Social.
As for Twitter itself, Musk said free speech would be key to Twitter's future. The transaction, which was unanimously approved by Twitter's board of directors, is likely to be completed this year after shareholder approval and dealings with regulators.