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Evening Standard
Evening Standard
World
Sami Quadri

Elon Musk asks Twitter users to vote on reinstatement of Donald Trump

Elon Musk has posted a poll on Twitter asking followers whether former US President Donald Trump should be allowed back on the platform.

Mr Trump was permanently suspended from the social media site in January 2021 after his supporters stormed the US Capitol.

The tech giant said it chose to remove him from the platform “due to the risk of further incitement of violence”.

On Friday evening, Mr Musk accompanied a poll on whether to reinstate the account with the words: “Vox Populi, Vox Dei” – a Latin phrase meaning “the voice of the people is the voice of God”.

At the time of writing, 52.3 per cent of respondents support Mr Trump coming back to the platform, with more than 11.6 million votes cast.

It comes as three other banned users have been allowed back, including Jordan Peterson, an academic previously banned over comments about a transgender actor.

Mr Musk said hateful tweets will be allowed but will be "deboosted" so they are harder to find.

The tech billionaire sparked controversy after closing Twitter’s offices over the weekend as staff continue to leave in their droves.

They have been shut until Monday over fears exiting workers could sabotage the social media company in the wake of its takeover by the world’s richest man.

It comes after hundreds of staff rejected Musk’s ultimatum to sign up for longer working hours to build a new "hardcore" Twitter.

Mr Musk, who has already fired half the 7,500 workforce, said those who did not agree would be let go.

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