The White Stripes frontman Jack White has quit Twitter over what he describes as new Twitter CEO Elon Musk’s “absolutely disgusting” decision to reinstate Donald Trump’s account.
Musk’s decision came after he ran a poll on the social media platform, in which 51.8% of the more than 15 million people who voted said the former President should have his account unblocked. “The people have spoken. Trump will be reinstated,” Musk wrote following the poll, seen by more than 134 million people. “Vox Populi, Vox Dei,” he added, the Latin phrase meaning ‘voice of the people, voice of God’. And now Jack White is among those taking aim at Musk since he bought Twitter, describing his latest decision as “an asshole move”.
“I mean, how many more billions do you need that you have to risk democracy itself to obtain it?”
Despite Trump’s reinstatement, the former President said over the weekend that he sees “no reason” to go back to Twitter, despite having nearly 33 million followers on the platform.
The twice-impeached ex-President announced his candidacy in the 2024 US Presidential elections last week, but after he was first banned from Twitter, he set up his own social media site, Truth Social, which is currently said to have around 2 million active users.
Jack White, meanwhile, who’s released two albums so far this year, joins a list of celebrities who see no reason for being on Twitter for very different reasons. They include the likes of Gigi Hadid, Whoopi Goldberg and Amber Heard – the latter of whom previously dated Musk, incidentally, and left without giving a reason just days after he took over as Twitter CEO.
Musk’s decision came after he ran a poll on the social media platform, in which 51.8% of the more than 15 million people who voted said the former President should have his account unblocked. “The people have spoken. Trump will be reinstated,” Musk wrote following the poll, seen by more than 134 million people. “Vox Populi, Vox Dei,” he added, the Latin phrase meaning ‘voice of the people, voice of God’. And now Jack White is among those taking aim at Musk since he bought Twitter, describing his latest decision as “an asshole move”.
“Why don’t you be truthful?”, White demanded, in a message on his Instagram. “Tell it like it is; people like you and Joe Rogan (who gives platforms to liars like Alex Jones etc.); you come into a ton of money, see the tax bill, despise paying your fair share, and then think moving to Texas and supporting whatever Republican you can is going to help you keep more of your money.” “Trump was removed from Twitter because he incited violence multiple times,” White added, referring to the Capitol Hill riots on 6 January last year, which ultimately led to Trump’s Twitter account being blocked for his part to play in inciting the violence. “People died and were injured as a result of his lies and his ego, (let alone what his coup did to attempt to destroy democracy and our Capitol). And how about the division and the families broken apart from his rhetoric and what it did to this country? “That’s not “free speech” or “what the poll decided” or whatever nonsense you’re claiming it to be; this is straight up you trying to help a fascist have a platform so you can eventually get your tax breaks.View this post on Instagram
Donald Trump’s Twitter account has been reactivated, but the former President says he sees “no reason” to start using the platform again.
