Alex Jones Returns to X, Thanks to Elon Musk’s Poll
A Controversial Return
After being banned from several social media platforms, conspiracy theorist Alex Jones has been welcomed back to the site now known as X. This surprising development comes after Elon Musk conducted a poll, with nearly two million votes, to determine if users wanted Jones back on the platform. Over 70 percent voted in favor of his return. Musk initially opposed Jones’ reinstatement due to his promotion of Sandy Hook conspiracy theories. However, leading up to a streamed interview between Jones and Tucker Carlson on X, Musk changed his stance. He stated that permanent bans should be rare, as the platform aims to be a global town square, and announced the poll to reinstate Jones.
The Outcome
Once the votes were counted, Musk announced on X that Jones would be allowed back on the platform, stating that “the people have spoken”. Jones wasted no time in making a comeback, beginning with a nearly three-hour interview. During the interview, Musk made appearances alongside other right-wing figures such as Andrew Tate and Vivek Ramaswamy.
Past Bannings
Jones was originally banned from Twitter in 2018 after being accused of abusive behavior. This ban followed an altercation between Jones and CNN reporter Oliver Darcy during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing, which Jones live-streamed on Twitter. His account suspensions extended to other platforms like Facebook, YouTube, Spotify, Vimeo, and LinkedIn.
