Tucker Carlson Has Been Reinstated on Twitter, but It Wasn’t Because of Elon
FOX News host Tucker Carlson’s account has been reinstated on Twitter. Why was he banned from the social media platform in the first place?
May 4 2022, Published 7:37 a.m. ET
One of the hottest discussions on Wall Street is Twitter’s takeover by Elon Musk and the potential changes it could bring. There's likely to be a shift in Twitter's user base, with several users talking about leaving the platform and others saying they'll rejoin. Some of those that may return were banned, such as FOX News host Tucker Carlson. Why was he banned from Twitter?
Carlson was banned from Twitter for hateful conduct on March 23, 2022, after misgendering U.S. assistant secretary of health Rachel Levine, a transgender woman. He endorsed tweets made by satirical news website The Babylon Bee, whose account was suspended for similar violations.
Tucker Carlson is back on Twitter after being banned
Carlson was back on Twitter on April 26, 2022, the same day Musk took over Twitter in a $44 billion deal. Carlson announced his return with a tweet: “We’re back.”
He also celebrated Musk's acquisition on the show Tucker Carlson Tonight, implying that his return to Twitter was connected to the shift. On the deal, Carlson said “[Musk] thinks everyone should be allowed to talk. Including people who disagree with him.”
Was Musk’s Twitter takeover really behind Carlson’s return?
Whereas Musk’s Twitter purchase was driven by is his belief that the platform has more potential for free speech, Carlson’s reinstatement doesn’t seem to be related to the change. As Mediaite points out, the FOX News host's comeback was likely the result of him deleting the tweet that led to his ban in the first place. It's no longer on his timeline.
Moreover, Musk might not have much control over the platform yet, as it could take several months for his planned changes—relating to content restrictions, deleted content, and permanent bans—to take effect.
Twitter's user base is bound to shift with Musk's takeover
Carlson isn't the only conservative to return to Twitter following Musk’s takeover. My Pillow CEO Mike Lindell tried to set up a new account on the platform after Musk's deal went through, but was banned within a few hours.
Calls to bring Donald Trump back to Twitter have also gained steam in the last few weeks. Although Musk has shown his displeasure at Trump’s ban from Twitter and Trump has welcomed Musk’s takeover of Twitter, Trump has maintained that he'll just stay on his own social media platform, TRUTH Social.