Elon Musk gives Kanye West the boot from Twitter over offensive posts: 'I tried my best'
Musk said Ye's tweets 'violated our rule against incitement to violence,' therefore suspending the rapper's Twitter account
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Newly-minted Twitter CEO Elon Musk has booted Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, from Twitter for 12 hours after the rapper posted a series of controversial tweets.
The final straw came when Ye posted a picture that appeared to be a Nazi swastika inside a Star of David, a religious symbol of Judaism, and indicated that it would be used as the logo for his 2024 presidential campaign.
"I tried my best. Despite that, he again violated our rule against incitement to violence," Musk wrote in response to the tweet that was removed. "Account will be suspended."
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A photo illustration with Twitter owner Elon Musk. (Getty Images/iStock / Getty Images)
Just before his account was suspended Thursday night, Ye tweeted out an unflattering picture of a shirtless Musk aboard a yacht with Endeavor CEO Ari Emanuel spraying him with a hose, writing: "Let's always remember this as my final tweet."
Musk replied to the picture to clarify that Ye was being booted from the social media platform for violating Twitter's rules – and not the picture.
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"Just clarifying that his account is being suspended for incitement to violence, not an unflattering picture of me being hosed by Ari," Musk wrote.
He further joked, "Frankly, I found those pics to be helpful motivation to lose weight!"
Musk previously tweeted to Ye, encouraging him not to respond critically to others and pointing him to Jesus' teachings in the New Testament.
"Jesus taught love, kindness and forgiveness," Musk said on Wednesday. "I used to think that turning the other cheek was weak & foolish, but I was the fool for not appreciating its profound wisdom."
The Twitter logo displayed on a mobile phone with a photo of Kanye West shown in the background. (OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images / Getty Images)
Musk reinstated Ye's Twitter account after taking control of the company following his $44 billion takeover.
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The tech billionaire mogul has also welcomed back other notable figures, such as former President Trump, who has not yet taken him up on the offer.