X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, has agreed to settle a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump for around $10 million, The Wall Street Journal reports.
Trump first took legal action against X, then called Twitter, and its former CEO Jack Dorsey in federal court in San Francisco after the platform permanently banned his account following the violent events at the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.
Twitter had defended the suspension, claiming that Trump’s continued presence on the platform could potentially lead to further violence.
In his legal filing, Trump contended that Twitter’s suspension of his account infringed upon his First Amendment right to free speech.
John Kelly, Trump’s attorney in the case, confirmed on Wednesday that a settlement had been reached between the president and X.
“It’s resolved,” Kelly told CNBC, but he refrained from revealing any specifics about the settlement.
In November 2022, after acquiring Twitter, Elon Musk reinstated Trump’s account just one day after conducting a poll asking users whether he should allow Trump back on the platform.
This settlement follows a similar resolution between Trump and Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram. On January 29, 2023, Meta announced it would pay $25 million to settle Trump’s lawsuit regarding the suspension of his accounts after the Capitol riot.
The agreement with X comes as Musk, in his role leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), manages efforts to reduce federal spending and streamline the workforce, a key initiative of the Trump administration.
{Matzav.com}