Roger Stone, the GOP political consultant and Trump ally whom Twitter’s previous management booted from the platform five years ago, had his account reinstated Wednesday.
“I am grateful to have my voice back and I intend to use my Twitter to spread truth. I thank Elon Musk and Jesus Christ for my reinstatement,” Mr. Stone told The Washington Times.
Upon his return to Twitter, Mr. Stone tweeted, “I have just been informed that my personal Twitter account has been reinstated,” then told his followers he would discuss the matter on his podcast.
Mr. Stone‘s suspension originated from an Oct. 28, 2017, profanity-laced tweet directed at CNN hosts Jake Tapper and Don Lemon about Hillary Clinton and an Obama administration decision in 2010 to allow a Russian nuclear agency to purchase a firm that had access to an American uranium supply.
The hosts were discussing the news about special prosecutor Robert Mueller and his team, who had just filed their first charges in the Trump campaign-Russia collusion investigation.
Mr. Stone called for Mr. Tapper to be “very severely punished.”
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Ultimately, the special counsel found that while Russia meddled in the 2016 election, he and his team “did not find that the Trump campaign, or anyone associated with it, conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in these efforts, despite multiple efforts from Russian-affiliated individuals to assist the Trump campaign.”
At the time of his ban from Twitter, Mr. Stone told Politico “The battle against free speech has just begun” and that his suspension would last for only “three hours and 22 minutes.”
“This is a strange way to do business and part and parcel of the systematic effort by the tech left to censor and silence conservative voices,” he said at the time.
On “The Stone Zone” podcast Wednesday while discussing some of his polarizing tweets, he said, “I am a different person today. This was before my faith walk. This is before I was redeemed in the blood of the crucifixion of Jesus.”
Mr. Stone is one of the latest high-profile political figures to be reinstated on Twitter. Conservative activist Laura Loomer returned Wednesday morning, Mr. Stone noted.
In November, Twitter reactivated former President Donald Trump’s account after banning him over inciting statements leading to the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol protests.
However, Mr. Trump has not used his reinstated Twitter account, preferring to communicate through his Truth Social platform.
Mr. Musk‘s reactivation of other banned Twitter accounts includes Jordan Peterson, the conservative satirical site Babylon Bee and the personal account of Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, Georgia Republican.
• Kerry Picket can be reached at kpicket@washingtontimes.com.
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