The Supreme Court has declined to hear an appeal from Elon Musk’s X platform regarding a search warrant in the election-interference case against former President Donald Trump.
The warrant was obtained by special counsel Jack Smith’s team.
The big picture: X argued that a nondisclosure order preventing them from informing Trump about the warrant violated their First Amendment rights.
- The company expressed concerns that if the government was not restricted, they could potentially invade other privileged communications using similar tactics.
- Prosecutors defended the warrant and nondisclosure order, stating that Trump never used the account for official purposes, negating any grounds for executive privilege. Notifying Trump could have allegedly jeopardized the ongoing investigation.
- The case involving Trump’s Twitter account activity leading up to the Capitol attack on Jan. 6, 2021, is progressing despite a previous Supreme Court ruling granting Trump broad immunity from criminal prosecution as a former president.
- The warrant was issued to Twitter amidst significant changes made by Musk, who acquired the platform in 2022. These changes included layoffs of staff dedicated to tackling misinformation and welcoming back banned users, including Trump, whom Musk endorsed in the 2024 presidential race.
