Donald Trump once offered to sell Truth Social to Elon Musk, report says
- Donald Trump once suggested that Elon Musk should buy Truth Social, The Washington Post reported.
- The talks went nowhere last summer, but Trump has continued to promote the idea to his circle.
Donald Trump reportedly once offered to sell Truth Social to Elon Musk, The Washington Post reported.
The former president made the suggestion last summer, according to the report that cited two unnamed sources.
At the time, Musk still running Twitter, now known as X, following his chaotic takeover in late 2022 before handing over to Linda Yaccarino.
The Post reported that Musk and Trump have been in contact more than was previously known, with Trump continuing to tell confidants that the Tesla CEO should buy the platform despite the earlier talks going nowhere.
Trump confirmed he recently met with Musk in a CNBC interview. The former president said he didn't know if Musk would endorse him.
Musk reinstated Trump's Twitter account in November 2022 just weeks after he took control of the company in a $44 billion deal. Trump was kicked off Twitter following the deadly January 6, 2021 Capitol riot.
However, Trump has continued to prefer using Truth Social despite having far fewer followers there than on X.
Representatives for Musk and Trump did not immediately respond to requests for comment from Business Insider, made outside normal working hours. Neither responded to requests for comment from the Post.
Trump's "free speech" platform has faced significant financial hurdles since it launched in 2022.
According to Securities and Exchange Commission filings in November, Truth Social lost tens of millions of dollars last year.
Truth Social owner Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG) has faced a series of delays over its planned merged with the acquisition company Digital World Acquisition Corp. Last month, the SEC cleared the way for the deal, which is seen as a major boost for Trump.