Twitter reinstated and subsequently re-banned political commentator Nick Fuentes’ account within one day.
Fuentes had previously been banned from Twitter since July 2021.
The political commentator shared an image of Spongebob character Patrick Star entering through double doors alluding to his return to the platform.
On Wednesday, users noticed Fuentes’ account had been suspended.
It is unclear what triggered a suspension for the political commentator with some users suggesting a “mass flag” campaign while other users suggested Fuentes made “antisemitic remarks” while hosting a Twitter Spaces Tuesday evening.
“Well, that was fun while it lasted,” said lawyer and rapper Patriot J.
Well, that was fun while it lasted. pic.twitter.com/FfWpHzUHpt
— Patriot J 🔥 (@sirhottest) January 25, 2023
“Censorship makes martyrs of terrible people who would otherwise be irrelevant. Free Nick Fuentes so we can ratio him into oblivion every time he tweets,” said Conspiracy Pilled podcast host Abby Libby.
“I prefer bad ideas in the light.”
Censorship makes martyrs of terrible people who would otherwise be irrelevant. Free Nick Fuentes so we can ratio him into oblivion every time he tweets. I prefer bad ideas in the light. pic.twitter.com/FyKpvYzKUO
— Abby Libby (@abbythelibb_) January 25, 2023
“FREE NICK FUENTES. FREE SPEECH,” said rapper Bryson Gray.
“I condemn the re-banning of Nick Fuentes, which was almost surely predicated on a mass flagging campaign,” said another user.
“There’s no reason to grant ‘Twitter Amnesty’ if you’re going to near-immediately remove people just for being controversial- that is often why they were banned to begin with.”
I condemn the re-banning of Nick Fuentes, which was almost surely predicated on a mass flagging campaign. There's no reason to grant "Twitter Amnesty" if you're going to near-immediately remove people just for being controversial- that is often why they were banned to begin with.
— Styxhexenhammer666 (@Styx666Official) January 25, 2023
“Doesn’t matter how offensive people may find Nick Fuentes’s speech to be. Free speech is free speech. You’re either pro free speech, or you’re against it. There’s no in between because there’s no such thing as hate speech,” said Laura Loomer who had been given a permanent ban by Twitter’s previous leadership.
“Nick Fuentes should not be silenced.”
Loomer provided a screenshot of Fuentes’ Telegram channel in which the political commentator addressed his new suspension saying, “well it was fun while it lasted.”
Doesn’t matter how offensive people may find Nick Fuentes’s speech to be.
Free speech is free speech. You’re either pro free speech, or you’re against it. There’s no in between because there’s no such thing as hate speech.
Nick Fuentes should not be silenced. #ProtectFreeSpeech https://t.co/rhjaNPZfyt
— Laura Loomer (@LauraLoomer) January 25, 2023
Fuentes most recently began working with Rapper Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, in his 2024 bid for presidency.
Ye and Fuentes were featured on a now-infamous episode of Alex Jones’ Infowars in which the rapper made a myriad of antisemitic and other controversial statements including suggesting he “liked” German dictator Adolf Hitler.
“You can’t say out loud that [Hitler] ever did anything good, and I’m done with that, I’m done with the classifications,” Ye continued. “Every human being has value that they brought to the table, especially Hitler.”
“We gotta stop dissing the Nazis all the time,” Ye added.
Fuentes also attended a dinner with Ye and former President Donald Trump in which the rapper reportedly proposed Trump could be his running mate in 2024.
