On Oct. 19, Donald Trump tweeted, “Thank you Elon Musk, I’m back!!!”
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Trump still didn’t tweet his thanks to Elon Musk, and isn’t back on Twitter
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- This isn’t a real tweet from the former president.
Earlier in October, it looked like former President Donald Trump had tweeted his return to Twitter, which in January 2021 permanently suspended Trump after the Capitol insurrection over concerns his comments could incite violence.
Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk’s expected takeover of the social media platform has prompted speculation that he’d allow Trump back on Twitter, but Trump’s supporters shouldn’t celebrate yet.
Even so, an image circulating on Instagram on Oct. 19 suggested otherwise. What looked like a Twitter alert from Donald J. Trump that day appeared to show the former president tweeting, "Thank you Elon Musk, I’m back!!!"
But Trump didn’t tweet that, and @realDonaldTrump is still banned for now.
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An Instagram post sharing the image was flagged as part of Facebook’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook and Instagram.)
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Earlier this month, the account @realDonJTru appeared to have sent a virtually identical tweet thanking Musk. This account also remains suspended after sending the false tweet Oct. 9.
We rated claims that the Oct. 9 tweet was from the former president False. Claims that Trump sent this Oct. 19 tweet are also False.
Our Sources
Instagram post, Oct. 19, 2022
PolitiFact, No, Elon Musk has not given Donald Trump his Twitter account back, Oct. 10, 2022
@realDonJTru account, visited Oct. 19, 2022
@realDonaldTrump account, visited Oct. 19, 2022
Insider, Twitter has frozen staff stock accounts in a concrete sign Elon Musk's takeover deal is close to completion, report says, Oct. 19, 2022
The Hill, New life for Musk-Twitter deal raises the Trump question, Oct. 9, 2022
Twitter, Permanent suspension of @realDonaldTrump, Jan. 8, 2021
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Trump still didn’t tweet his thanks to Elon Musk, and isn’t back on Twitter
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