With conservative voices reportedly streaming back to Twitter—the platform they once eschewed for its perceived liberal bias—claims that accounts of several pro-Trump firebrands have been restored are spreading online.
One features MyPillow CEO Lindell, a staunch Donald Trump supporter, who had his account permanently suspended in January 2021 for "repeated violations" of its "Civic Integrity Policy."
Although it wasn't revealed which of his tweets led to the suspension, Lindell has frequently promoted the false claims that Trump lost the 2020 election due to fraud.
However, the tweet celebrating his return to Twitter isn't all it seems.
The Claim
A tweet published on April 26, 2022, from a "Mike Lindell" stated: "Thank you, Elon Musk. I'm back and I will re-build my account. Please share."
It received more than 14,000 retweets in one day, while the account gained 53,900 followers.
The Facts
Since the announcement that Elon Musk bought Twitter for $44 billion, many have speculated whether historical Twitter account bans would be reinstated under its new leadership.
Lindell, who claims to have spent $35 million of his own money to overturn the 2020 Biden election win, is one of multiple public figures—including Steve Bannon, Marjorie Taylor Greene and (most famously) Donald Trump—who have had Twitter accounts suspended.
The tweet, purporting to be from the MyPillow CEO, was enough to convince tens of thousands of users that Lindell was indeed back on Twitter.
However,...
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