'Reinstate Trump' trends on Twitter after Elon Musk reaches deal with platform

Voices across Twitter are calling for the reinstatement of former President Donald Trump's account, following the purchase of the platform by Space X and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Just as news was leaked that Musk and Twitter had reached a deal in his takeover bid to buy the platform, "reinstate Trump" began trending on Twitter. Trump was suspended on January 7, 2020.

The billionaire's statements on free expression has garnered the attention of many who believe that the platform is in need of a free speech overhaul. Many, as indicated by the topic's trending, want to see the former president Donald Trump reinstated to the platform after he was banned from Twitter following the Capitol riot of January 6, 2020.

Twitter said in a statement on January 8 that the then-president's account had been suspended "after close review of recent Tweets from the @realDonaldTrump account and the context around them — specifically how they are being received and interpreted on and off Twitter — we have permanently suspended the account due to the risk of further incitement of violence," the wrote.

"In the context of horrific events this week, we made it clear on Wednesday that additional violations of the Twitter Rules would potentially result in this very course of action. Our public interest framework exists to enable the public to hear from elected officials and world leaders directly. It is built on a principle that the people have a right to hold power to account in the open," Twitter continued at the time of the president's ban.

"However, we made it clear going back years that these accounts are not above our rules entirely and cannot use Twitter to incite violence, among other things. We will continue to be transparent around our policies and their enforcement."

Musk's purchase of Twitter would allow for a new path for the former president to have his account reinstated.

In October of 2021, a preliminary injunction was requested which would allow Donald Trump's Twitter account to be reinstated for the duration of a lawsuit the Trump team has pending against the social media platform.

The motion argued that Trump's indefinite ban from such a large platform was tantamount to censorship, and that the big tech giant "exercises a degree of power and control over political discourse in this country that is immeasurable, historically unprecedented, and profoundly dangerous to open democratic debate." This according to the Washington Post.

"Plaintiff Donald J. Trump respectfully moves for a preliminary injunction directing, inter alia, Defendant Twitter, Inc. and all persons acting in concert with Defendant, to reinstate Plaintiff’s access to Defendant’s social media platform(s)," read the formal request submitted to the court.

Prominent Republican voices have tweeted in support of the president's return to Twitter, including the House Republican Conference, which represents 209 lawmakers.

Musk said in a tweet that he hopes his critics remain on the platform in light of the buyout.