Elon Musk Says Kanye West’s Twitter Was Reinstated Before He Took Over the Company

Kanye West’s Twitter account was restricted after he wrote antisemitic messages on the platform earlier this month

Elon Musk is speaking out about Kanye West’s presence on Twitter.

On Friday, Musk — who completed his $44 billion acquisition of Twitter — tweeted that the social networking platform “will be forming a content moderation council with widely diverse viewpoints,” adding, “No major content decisions or account reinstatements will happen before that council convenes.”

After one Twitter user asked Musk, 51, “So why did you restore already Kanye West’s account? Twitter should not be a platform to spew racism and antisemitism,” the Tesla CEO responded to the user, writing, “Ye’s account was restored by Twitter before the acquisition. They did not consult with or inform me.”

Twitter will be forming a content moderation council with widely diverse viewpoints.

No major content decisions or account reinstatements will happen before that council convenes.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 28, 2022

West’s Twitter account was restricted earlier this month after one of his tweets violated the company’s rules. However, his account was never actually deleted or banned. Instead, he was limited from posting and Twitter pulled the controversial tweet, according to The New York Times.

The Daily Beast also reported that West’s read-only restrictions were lifted after the tweet in question was deleted, per Twitter’s policy.

Ye’s account was restored by Twitter before the acquisition. They did not consult with or inform me.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 28, 2022

In a now-deleted message, West, 45, wrote that he was going to go “death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.

“I’m a bit sleepy tonight but when I wake up I’m going death con 3 On JEWISH PEOPLE,” he wrote, per the outlet. “The funny thing is I actually can’t be Anti Semitic because black people are actually Jew also You guys have toyed with me and tried to black ball anyone whoever opposes your agenda.”

Many have since come forward to condemn his remarks, including his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian.

“Hate speech is never OK or excusable,” the SKIMS founder, 42, wrote days after West’s posts.

“I stand together with the Jewish community and call on the terrible violence and hateful rhetoric towards them to come to an immediate end,” she continued.

Multiple companies have also parted ways with West in the wake of his anti-semitic remarks, including Gap, Adidas, and Balenciaga.