Fact check: Trump remains suspended on Twitter; tweet circulating online is fabricated – USA TODAY

April 22, 2022

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The claim: An image shows Donald Trump thanking Elon Musk for allowing him back on Twitter

Elon Musk’s much-publicized efforts to purchase a controlling stake in Twitter have provoked the imagination of some social media users.

The CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, and the world’s wealthiest person, purchased 9% of the company’s stock March 14 and has since acquired more, making him its biggest shareholder. An April 14 Facebook post claims Musk’s investment in Twitter promptly reversed the platform’s ban on former President Donald Trump.

“It’s good to be back, Thanks Elon!” reads a screenshot of a purported Trump tweet shared in the post.

The post received more than 2,600 reactions in five days. The supposed tweet carries the handle of Trump’s official account, @realDonaldTrump.

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The image, however, is altered. The former president’s account remains suspended by Twitter.

USA TODAY reached out to Being Libertarian, the Facebook page that posted the claim, for comment.

Trump remains suspended on Twitter

Trump’s Twitter account has been “permanently suspended” since January 2021, as reported by other fact-checking organizations.

Twitter suspended Trump following the Jan. 6 insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. The company said the account posed a “risk of further incitement of violence.”

Musk purchased a 9% stake in Twitter on March 14. One month later, he announced his intention to purchase the entirety of the company after refusing a seat on the board of directors.

As of April 21, Musk had not acquired sole control of Twitter. However, the idea that Trump could return following a Musk takeover has energized parts of the American right – particularly after Musk issued statements in which he described himself as a “free speech absolutist” and said the company needs to be “transformed.”

There are other details in the Facebook post that also point to its falsity. The date of the supposed Trump tweet, April 15, is one day after the Facebook post was published, as reported by Lead Stories.

Fact check: 2017 ‘Morning Joe’ clip misrepresented in viral posts about Elon Musk

USA TODAY has previously debunked claims that Trump has returned to Twitter.

Our rating: Altered

Based on our research, we rate ALTERED an image that claims to show Trump thanking Musk for allowing him back on Twitter. Trump’s Twitter account remains permanently suspended. Though Musk has voiced his desire to change Twitter’s policies, he did not control the company as of April 21.