The U.S. Supreme Court announced this week that it will not hear an appeal from Elon Musk’s social media platform X related to the investigation into former President Donald Trump.
Supreme Court justices on Monday rejected an appeal hearing by former Twitter Inc. X and owner Musk over an election interference investigation against the former president. The justices gave no reason for their denial, and no one dissented from the opinion.
Company X claims that a secrecy order that prevents it from notifying Donald Trump about the warrant issued by Special Counsel Jack Smith’s team violates its First Amendment rights.
The platform also argues that President Trump should have been given the opportunity to assert executive privilege. The company’s lawyers argued that the government could use similar methods without restriction to access other privileged communications. Two bipartisan electronic privacy groups also asked the Supreme Court to hear the case, citing concerns about First Amendment implications.
But prosecutors countered that X had never proven that President Trump used the account for official purposes, and that executive authority was irrelevant. Additionally, a lower court ruled that informing Trump about the warrant could jeopardize an ongoing investigation.
Republican Elon Musk jumps on stage to join former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on October 5, 2024. On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear… X-Wonder Elon Musk (R) jumps on stage with former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on October 5, 2024. On Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear MuskX’s appeal over the investigation into Trump. Details Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images/Getty Images
In the weeks leading up to the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol, President Trump used his Twitter account to spread false claims about the election, which prosecutors say undermined confidence in the democratic process. He claims that was the intended purpose.
The indictment alleges that President Trump used his Twitter account to urge his supporters to gather in Washington on January 6, pressure Vice President Mike Pence to stop the certification of the election, and that the mob attacked police officers. The document outlines how he falsely portrayed that he assaulted a man and broke a window at the Capitol. –It’s like peace.
The case follows a July ruling by the Supreme Court that granted Trump broad immunity from criminal prosecution as a former president.
The warrant was issued to X during a period of upheaval following Elon Musk’s acquisition of the platform in 2022. Since then, Musk has made sweeping changes, including firing many of the staff members responsible for combating misinformation and hate speech.
Since taking over the social media platform, Musk has also reinstated a number of previously banned users, including Trump, who publicly supported him in the 2024 presidential election.
Musk attended a Trump rally over the weekend in Butler, Pennsylvania, where the former president faced a near-fatal assassination attempt.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.