(The Hill) — Billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk is considering reinstating right-wing personality Alex Jones on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
“Reinstate Alex Jones on this platform? Vox Populi, Vox Dei,” Musk, who owns X, said in a post on the platform Saturday.
Musk’s post includes a poll on the question.
The entrepreneur’s question and poll post appears to be a reversal of his previous words on the reinstatement of Jones to the platform. Last year, Musk responded mockingly to a user of the platform who asked if the controversial figure would be able to return to it.
“Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven,” Musk wrote in an initial tweet.
When he was questioned further on the topic by another user, Musk gave a poignant response.
“My firstborn child died in my arms. I felt his last heartbeat,” Musk said. “I have no mercy for anyone who would use the deaths of children for gain, politics or fame.”
Jones has pushed a false conspiracy theory that the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012, in which 20 children died, was a “false-flag” event created for the purpose of heightening support for gun control. He was permanently banned from X, then known as Twitter, back in 2018.
“Today, we permanently suspended @realalexjones and @infowars from Twitter and Periscope,” Twitter Safety posted at the time. “We took this action based on new reports of Tweets and videos posted yesterday that violate our abusive behavior policy, in addition to the accounts’ past violations.”
Musk did not own X, then Twitter, in 2018, when Jones was removed. The tech entrepreneur purchased the company in October 2022.
By: Tara Suter
