Billionaire owner of X (formerly Twitter) Elon Musk said “Ok” on Saturday after a far-right account demanded conspiracy theorist Alex Jones be readmitted to the platform following an informal poll on the subject. And now Musk is running his own Jones poll on what to do next.

Infowars founder Jones appeared for a lengthy and friendly sit-down with former Fox News star Tucker Carlson this week, ahead of which release he made a direct appeal to have his account restored to X in a video shared prominently by another former Twitter exile (restored by Musk) @ALX, an account run by someone with Charlie Kirk’s Turning Points USA.

The message read, “Alex Jones says he hopes Elon Musk will watch his interview with Tucker Carlson on 𝕏 tonight,” and Musk replied, “I will hear him out.”

Must replied to another person sharing the clip that he would “consider” what Jones was asking and said “Let’s hold a poll.”

The @ALX account then ran a poll asking his followers whether Jones should be returned to the platform, the result of which was 92% in favor. “The people have spoken. It’s time to reinstate Alex Jones,” he said. “Vox Populi, Vox Dei.”

The people have spoken.

It’s time to reinstate @RealAlexJones

Vox Populi, Vox Dei. https://t.co/8ae5jinWda pic.twitter.com/DfGebnQvyl

— ALX (@alx) December 9, 2023

Musk replied with “Ok,” prompting an immediate wave of cheering from that part of the X userbase and the opposite from the rest.

That was around 4 in the morning eastern time on Saturday. Hours later, Jones was not reinstated but Musk posted his own poll asking the same question.

Reinstate Alex Jones on this platform?

Vox Populi, Vox Dei.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 9, 2023

At the time of this post the results are well in favor of restoring Jones to X, a move which could further alienate advertisers and would be a reversal of Musk’s previous responses to the idea.

When Musk began restoring banned accounts after taking over Twitter, on the subject of Alex Jones he put his foot down, saying he has “no mercy for anyone who would use the deaths of children for gain, politics or fame.”

He was attacked by the far right for that stance, while Democrats and the media, instead of applauding the move they definitely supported in theory, used it as a way to snark about Musk’s many-times repeated claim to being a free speech “absolutist” for some reason.

Regardless, those free speech commitments are now once again in the spotlight as he undertakes the poll — the same method he used ahead of deciding to buy Twitter in the first place.

We may update this post with more info as the poll continues. At the time of publication there are still 9 hours left to vote.

The post ‘Ok’: Elon Musk May Let Alex Jones Back On X After Saying ‘No Mercy’ For Sandy Hook Conspiracy Theorist Last Year first appeared on Mediaite.

from Mediaite https://ift.tt/zjFp4OB