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Elon Musk’s social media platform X (formerly Twitter) has agreed to pay Donald Trump about $10 million (£8m) after his accounts were suspended following the January 6 2021 Capitol riots by his supporters.
This payment is in addition to the $25m (£20m) deal lawyers for the US president secured with Meta Platforms, the owner of Facebook and Instagram.
President Trump sued the social media platforms, along with Alphabet Inc (the owner of Google and YouTube) as well as their chief executives over what he claimed was unlawful silencing of conservative opinions, the Wall Street Journal reports.
A statement released by X on January 8 2021 (when it was still known as Twitter) confirmed that Trump’s account would be shut down and cited the risk of the businessman inciting further violence linked to his bid to remain in the White House after his loss to President Joe Biden in the 2020 election.
Musk bought Twitter in 2022 and renamed it X and has been one of Trump’s biggest supporters. The Tesla CEO gave Trump $250m (£202m) towards his 2024 election campaign.
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The pair’s close bond has led to the president choosing the tech billionaire to lead the new US Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE for short). The purpose of this department is to shrink the federal bureaucracy.
Given the change of ownership at X, Trump’s legal team reportedly considered dropping the case. Plus, both Trump and Musk are buddies, but the two sides have reached a settlement, the Journal reports.
Tyla has contacted X for comment.
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Trump’s lawyers are expected to pursue a similar agreement with Alphabet after Trump was banned from YouTube after the Capitol riots.
How close are Musk and Trump? So close that the SpaceX founder introduced his son to Trump in the Oval Office at the White House this week. And cameras were there to capture the moment.
The four-year-old joined his Tesla boss father for Musk's White House debut earlier this week.
The meeting centred on the controversial power Musk has been given to cut the size and spending of the federal workforce.
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But not only did X interrupt his father several times while Musk was questioned about the level of authority his new government position has afforded him, but another moment saw him picking his nose before wiping his bogies on the Resolute Desk.
People also think the tot told Trump: "You're not the president," adding: "You need to go away."
Topics: Donald Trump, Elon Musk, US News, Twitter
Gregory Robinson