Elon Musk Suspends Kanye West On Twitter For ‘Incitement To Violence’ After Swastika Post

Topline

Kanye West, also known as Ye, has been banned from Twitter again after sharing an image combining the Star of David and a swastika, billionaire owner Elon Musk announced Friday—it’s the latest in a series of widely criticized antisemitic remarks from the rapper and the move indicates one of Musk’s red lines for content and free speech on the platform.

Kanye West was suspended from Twitter for violating the platform’s policy on inciting violence.

AFP via Getty Images

Key Facts

West, who has previously been banned for antisemitic posts, was suspended after sharing an image of a swastika embedded within the Star of David, a symbol of Judaism.

Musk, who had welcomed the rapper back to the platform in late November and has sought to turn Twitter into a haven of free speech, confirmed West’s account had been suspended and its posts have been removed.

West was suspended for violating Twitter’s “rule against incitement to violence,” Musk stressed, noting that this was not his first infraction.

“I tried my best,” Musk said.

News Peg

West has unleashed a stream of antisemitic comments and remarks in national media appearances and on social media in recent weeks. He reportedly has a history of admiring Hitler, according to CNN. West, alongside former President Donald Trump, was widely condemned for meeting with Nick Fuentes, a white nationalist and holocaust denier. His behavior has already seen him removed from multiple social media platforms and precipitated the collapse of his business empire. The Twitter ban came just hours after West praised the Nazis and Adolf Hitler in an interview with far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. “I like Hitler,” West told Jones, spouting numerous antisemitic conspiracy theories. He said the Nazis did “good things too” and that people should stop “dissing” them all the time. “I love Jewish people, but I also love Nazis,” West told Jones, who pushed back against the comments. Politicians across the political spectrum condemned the comments, including many Republicans. New York Rep. Lee Zeldin, one of the few Republican Jewish members of Congress, told Politico West “is a deranged Anti-semite” and the Republican Jewish Coalition called the interview a “horrific cesspool of dangerous, bigoted Jew hatred.” Jonathan Greenblatt, head of the Anti-Defamation League, denounced West as a “vicious antisemite” and said his comments are “vile,” “offensive” and “put Jews in danger.”

Tangent

West’s plans to buy Parler, a self-touted “free speech” alternative to Twitter, fell through on Thursday. The company said the decision was mutual and CNN reported the rapper’s business difficulties as a factor in the decision, citing a person familiar with the matter.

Surprising Fact

West posted an unflattering image of Musk, topless, on a yacht, writing: “Let’s always remember this as my final tweet.” Musk clarified the post had no bearing on the decision to suspend West’s account. “Frankly, I found those pics to be helpful motivation to lose weight,” he said.

Further Viewing

West’s posts have now been removed from Twitter. Drew Harwell, a tech reporter for the Washington Post, captured some of the rapper’s last activity on the platform.

Forbes Valuation

$198.9 billion. That’s Musk’s estimated net worth, according to Forbes’ real-time tracker. He purchased Twitter for $44 billion in October and is known for cofounding and leading electric carmaker Tesla and rocket company SpaceX. Forbes estimates West is worth an estimated $400 million. He dropped out of the ranks of billionaire in October after Adidas, along with other major brands, severed business ties.