The Supreme Court will not hear the appeal of Elon Musk’s Platform X against the order in the Trump case

WASHINGTON – The Supreme Court said Monday it would not hear an appeal by social media platform X over a search warrant obtained by prosecutors in the election interference case against former President Donald Trump.

The judges did not explain their reasoning and did not record any objections.

The company, known as Twitter before it was bought by billionaire Elon Musk, claims a confidentiality order that prevented it from telling Trump about the order obtained by special counsel Jack Smith’s team violated its First Amendment rights.

The company also argues that Trump should have been given a chance to exercise executive privilege. If left unchecked, the government could use similar tactics to attack other privileged means of communication, their lawyers argued.

Two nonpartisan electronic privacy groups also spoke out, encouraging the Supreme Court to take up the case under the First Amendment.

But prosecutors say the company never showed that Trump used the account for official purposes, so executive privileges wouldn’t be an issue. The lower court also found that informing Trump could have jeopardized the ongoing investigation.

In the weeks before his supporters attacked the Capitol on January 6, 2021, Trump used his Twitter account to spread false statements about the election that prosecutors said were intended to sow distrust in the democratic process.

The indictment detailed how Trump used his Twitter account to encourage his supporters to come to Washington on Jan. 6, pressured Vice President Mike Pence to reject the certification, and falsely suggested that the Capitol mob – which he beat police officers and broke windows – it was peaceful.

The case is gaining momentum following the Supreme Court’s July ruling granting Trump, as a former president, broad immunity from criminal prosecution.

The order reached Twitter amid rapid changes made by Musk, who bought the platform in 2022 and has since laid off most of his staff, including employees who detect disinformation and hate speech.

He also welcomed the long list of previously banned users, including Trump, and endorsed him in the 2024 presidential race.