The head of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is urging Elon Musk to not let former President Donald Trump back on the platform.
Shortly after Twitter announced that it had accepted Musk’s acquisition offer, NAACP President Derrick Johnson said in a statement, “Mr. Musk: free speech is wonderful, hate speech is unacceptable.”
“Misinformation, disinformation and hate speech have NO PLACE on Twitter. Do not allow 45 to return to the Platform. Do not allow Twitter to become a petri dish for hate speech, or falsehoods that subvert our democracy,” he continued.
Finally, Johnson said, “Protecting our democracy is of utmost importance, especially as the midterm elections approach. Mr. Musk: lives are at risk, and so is American democracy.”
Read the statement below:
.@DerrickNAACP to @elonmusk: "Do not allow 45 to return to the platform. Do not allow Twitter to become a petri dish for hate speech, or falsehoods that subvert our democracy." pic.twitter.com/bXCFaT0WCP
— Jacqui Heinrich (@JacquiHeinrich) April 25, 2022
Trump was permanently suspended from Twitter after the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol.
However, Trump told Fox News on Monday that he is not interested in getting back on Twitter.
He said, “I am not going on Twitter, I am going to stay on TRUTH.”
"#BringBackTrump" is trending on Twitter following news billionaire Elon Musk plans to buy the platform.
— Meridith McGraw (@meridithmcgraw) April 25, 2022
Trump told Fox today, "I am not going on Twitter, I am going to stay on TRUTH."
We'll see about that. Truth has had some big issues and Trump has still only posted once.
The former president’s comments refer to his own social media platform, Truth Social, which he has barely used.
According to a press release on Monday, Twitter’s board agreed to Musk’s offer to buy the company for roughly $44 billion, or $54.20 per share.
Twitter will become a private company after the deal is completed.
Bret Taylor, Twitter’s Independent Board Chair, said in a press release, “The Twitter Board conducted a thoughtful and comprehensive process to assess Elon’s proposal with a deliberate focus on value, certainty, and financing.”
“The proposed transaction will deliver a substantial cash premium, and we believe it is the best path forward for Twitter’s stockholders,” he added.
Parag Agrawal, Twitter’s CEO, said, “Twitter has a purpose and relevance that impacts the entire world. Deeply proud of our teams and inspired by the work that has never been more important.”
In a statement, Musk said, “Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated.”
“I also want to make Twitter better than ever by enhancing the product with new features, making the algorithms open source to increase trust, defeating the spam bots, and authenticating all humans. Twitter has tremendous potential – I look forward to working with the company and the community of users to unlock it,” he added.