After over a year of exile, tech entrepreneur Elon Musk has agreed to again reactivate the X account of America First leader Nick Fuentes.
Musk announced the decision on Thursday in response to an X user asking why Fuentes’ account hadn’t been restored in accordance with Musk’s supposed commitment to free speech.
“Very well, he will be reinstated, provided he does not violate the law, and let him be crushed by the comments and Community Notes,” Musk responded to the user.
Very well, he will be reinstated, provided he does not violate the law, and let him be crushed by the comments and Community Notes.
It is better to have anti whatever out in the open to be rebutted than grow simmering in the darkness.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 2, 2024
“It is better to have anti whatever out in the open to be rebutted than grow simmering in the darkness,” he added.
Fuentes had been previously been banned several times on the platform during its previous iteration, Twitter.
His account was restored in January 2023 after Musk finalized the acquisition of Twitter in Oct. 2022, however, he was again suspended just one day later after making what the Southern Poverty Law Center deemed “antisemitic comments” on Twitter Spaces.
Musk later pointed out in replies that the decision would likely cause X to lose advertisers, but that it aligns with his free speech principles.
Fate loves irony, but hates hypocrisy.
I cannot claim to be a defender of free speech, but then permanently ban someone who hasn’t violated the law, no matter how much I disagree with what they say.
This will probably cause us to lose a lot of advertisers and makes me sad, but…
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 2, 2024
