Alex Jones might return to Musk’s X if poll says yes

Billionaire tech entrepreneur Elon Musk is considering letting Alex Jones back on X, with users deciding the far-right personality’s fate.

Mr. Musk launched a user poll on his social media platform Saturday asking whether to reinstate Mr. Jones after his being banned years ago.

“Reinstate Alex Jones on this platform? Vox Populi, Vox Dei,” Mr. Musk wrote on X, meaning the voice of the people is the voice of God.

Eight hours into the poll, 1.2 million votes had come in, with 70% favoring bringing Mr. Jones back.

Mr. Jones and accounts related to his InfoWars show were booted from the platform in 2018 amid a rash of bans of conservative voices by the then-named Twitter’s liberal regime. His ouster followed similar moves by YouTube and Facebook to remove him from their respective sites.

Mr. Jones recently appeared on Tucker Carlson’s show on X and said he hoped his account would be reinstated.

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“I trend all the time, ‘Hey, if you’re such an absolutist on free speech, bring back Alex Jones,’” Mr. Jones said of messages to Mr. Musk, who bought the platform last year and reinstated a slew of conservatives, including former President Donald Trump. “I understand that he needs to go through a process before he does that.”

Mr. Jones was sued by the surviving family members of the 20 children killed at the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting for peddling conspiracy theories that the massacre was a hoax and a “false flag” operation meant to gin up support for gun control. He also claimed that the parents and victims were actors.

The victims’ families won the case, with the court ordering Mr. Jones to pay them $1.5 billion. They have since offered to settle for $85 million.

Mr. Musk’s poll seems to be a reversal from his previous stance on reinstating Mr. Jones. When a user asked if Mr. Jones would be brought back, Mr. Musk flatly said “no.”

“My firstborn child died in my arms. I felt his last heartbeat,” Mr. Musk said when pressed further on his decision. “I have no mercy for anyone who would use the deaths of children for gain, politics or fame.”