Donald Trump and Elon Musk have reached a $10 million settlement in a lawsuit over the former president’s ban from Twitter. The social media platform, now known as X, suspended Trump’s account following the January 6, 2021, Capitol riots, citing risks of further violence. Trump described the settlement as “a big discount” during an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity.
“I was looking to get much more money than that,” Trump said, while Musk appeared surprised by the comment. Musk responded, “I left it up to the lawyers and the Twitter team.
The legal battle continued despite Musk’s acquisition of Twitter in 2022 and his significant donations to Trump’s recent presidential campaign. A U.S. District Judge in California had previously dismissed the case, emphasizing that private entities cannot violate First Amendment rights.
The federal appeals court also expressed skepticism toward Trump’s claims.
Trump and Musk settle Twitter lawsuit
Musk’s attorneys indicated in a court filing earlier this month that the lawsuit would be voluntarily dismissed.
This settlement follows another recent payout from Meta, which agreed to a $25 million settlement over Trump’s suspension from Facebook and Instagram. The agreement is notable given Musk’s official role in the Trump administration, where he leads cost-cutting efforts as part of the Department of Government Efficiency. This has led to numerous legal challenges questioning the limits of executive authority.
Although Musk reinstated Trump’s account after purchasing Twitter in October 2022, the legal ramifications of the original ban persisted. U.S. District Judge James Donato had previously ruled that comments from elected officials do not equate to state action. X declined to comment on the settlement, while Trump’s lawsuit against Google concerning his YouTube ban remains unresolved.
Image Credits: Photo by History in HD on Unsplash
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