Former President Donald Trump says he won’t rejoin Twitter even after Elon Musk takes over, but apparently there are no hard feelings.
The Tesla CEO, who agreed Monday to buy Twitter for an estimated $44 billion, gave a shout-out shortly before midnight Tuesday to Mr. Trump’s recently launched Truth Social platform, designed as a Twitter competitor.
“Truth Social is currently beating Twitter & TikTok on the Apple Store,” Mr. Musk said on — where else? — his Twitter account.
Mr. Musk included a screenshot of Apple’s Top Charts, which showed Truth Social ranked as the No. 1 download for free apps, followed by Twitter and LiveIn.
Actress Angela Belacamino cracked: “The moment you realize that you should have bought Truth Social instead of Twitter.”
Truth Social is currently beating Twitter & TikTok on the Apple Store pic.twitter.com/RxawVUAYKH
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 27, 2022
Mr. Trump said Monday that he will not return to Twitter, which permanently banned him from the platform on Jan. 8, 2021, two days after the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol, citing due “the risk of further incitement of violence.”
“I am not going on Twitter, I am going to stay on TRUTH,” Mr. Trump told Fox News. “I hope Elon buys Twitter because he’ll make improvements to it and he is a good man, but I am going to be staying on TRUTH.”
The year-old Trump Media & Technology Group launched Truth Social in February, before Mr. Musk made public his interest in buying Twitter and taking it private, citing free-speech concerns.
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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