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2022 is shaping up to be the comeback year for free speech in the realm of social media, thanks to the investments of businessmen like President Donald Trump and Twitter’s newfound CEO, Elon Musk.
On Thursday, Musk finally sealed the deal on his Twitter acquisition, taking full control of the social media platform and facetiously assuming the role of “Chief Twit,” per CNBC. The takeover comes on the heels of months of back-and-forth between Musk and Twitter amid legal dueling regarding the number of spam and bot accounts that were reportedly plaguing the site.
President Donald Trump responded to the news of Twitter’s masthead shift by writing a statement and sharing it on his own social media platform, Truth Social.
“TRUTH SOCIAL has become somewhat of a phenomena,” he wrote. “Last week it had bigger numbers than all other platforms, including TikTok, Twitter, Facebook, and the rest. It also looks and works better to my eye.”
He added, “I am very happy that Twitter is now in sane hands, and will no longer be run by Radical Left Lunatics and Maniacs that truly hate our country.”
In October, Truth Social topped the charts in the Google Play Store, soaring to No. 1 and remaining in the top five free downloaded apps for Android users for days, via RSBN.
According to a report from CNBC, Musk pivoted in his legal battle with Twitter and agreed to follow through with the purchase of the company if the tech giant terminated the ongoing litigation. Subsequently, the outlet stated that a Delaware judge had ruled that Musk had until Thursday, Oct. 28 to seal the deal with Twitter.
Twitter has infamously censored and banned prominent conservative and even moderate voices in the digital arena, drawing ire from free speech proponents and prompting Musk to acquire the platform with the intent of reestablishing free and fair debate.
“The reason why I acquired Twitter is because it is important to the future of civilization to have a common digital town square, where a wide range of beliefs can be debated in a healthy manner, without resorting to violence,” Musk wrote in an official statement.
Twitter’s anticipated overhaul, alongside the soaring success of Trump’s free-speech platform, Truth Social, is a stark contrast to the stonewalling, Big Tech suppression of just one year ago.
“Twitter must now work hard to rid itself of all of the bots and fake accounts that have hurt it so badly,” Trump continued in his reaction to Musk’s acquisition. “It will be much smaller, but better. I LOVE TRUTH!”