Trump’s Twitter dilemma: will he rejoin after Elon Musk takes over?

theguardian.com:

Elon Musk’s planned takeover of Twitter, and his desire to return what he describes as “free speech” to the platform, has buoyed many of those on the right wing in America, who have seen themselves, or their cohorts, banned in recent years.

For one prominent rightwing Twitter exile, however, the prospect of a return to the powerful social media website causes mixed emotions and a difficult dilemma.

If Donald Trump, who was permanently suspended from Twitter in January 2020 due to the risk of him inciting violence, rejoins the platform then he will once again have access to a tool he has acknowledged helped him defeat Hillary Clinton in 2016, taking back his ability to dictate the news cycle and communicate with the 88 million followers that were snatched away in an instant.

Should Trump do so, however, it will represent an admission that Truth Social, the former president’s own ailing social media effort, released earlier this year as a supposed alternative to Twitter, has failed – adding the fledgling platform to a long list of Trump’s business missteps.

But beyond the embarrassment, a return to Twitter, and to Trump firing out messages attacking Democrats and Republicans alike, could also be a dent to Republican chances in the November midterm elections.

“There’s a strong case that having Trump back on Twitter would help Democrats win votes by forcing Republicans off-message, reminding swing voters how much they disliked the former president, and driving up progressive turnout,” said Matt Gertz, a senior fellow at Media Matters for America, a left-leaning media watchdog.

Senior Republicans appear to agree. After news of Musk’s takeover, news website Politico contacted several top Republican members and aides to gauge