Trump Snubbed as Elon Musk Hands Out Free Blue Check Marks

Former President Donald Trump did not receive a blue check mark on Thursday, despite Twitter CEO Elon Musk paying for some prominent figures to retain verification free of charge.

A large number of Twitter users who previously had "legacy" verification check marks for being "notable" figures had their verifications removed on Thursday after refusing to join Musk's Twitter Blue subscription service. Most of those who kept the marks were paid subscribers, with some saying that the blue checks had become a new type of "digital MAGA hat."

However, Musk said he was "personally" footing the bill for some celebrities who have publicly expressed their unwillingness to subscribe, such as LeBron James and Stephen King, forcing them to retain their blue checks by receiving subscriptions against their wishes.

Trump was not among the select few, with his account remaining unverified and without a check mark at the time of publication. The former president's once-prolific account, which was previously under long-term suspension for tweets related to the January 6 Capitol attack, has remained dormant since being reinstated by Musk last year.

Twitter responded to Newsweek's request for comment on Trump being excluded by emailing a "poop" emoji, the company's current automated response to all press inquiries.

Newsweek has reached out via email to the office of Trump for comment.

President Joe Biden's account retained its gray verification check mark without the need to pay a new subscription fee, due to the president's status as a current government official.

Some who paid the $8 or more per month fee to get their own check marks with a Twitter Blue subscription celebrated the removal of verification from the accounts of Democrats like former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

"BREAKING: Hillary Clinton is NO LONGER Verified on Twitter. God Bless!" tweeted Students for Trump founder Ryan Fournier alongside "rolling on the floor laughing" and clapping emojis.

"Elon Musk has taken away Hillary Clinton's blue check mark," @CollinRugg tweeted. "You love to see it."

Other Twitter users were quick to point out that Trump's check mark had also disappeared.

"Lol they took trump's blue check too," tweeted @NoahJAguirre.

"Oof. No blue check," @Endthemisery1 tweeted. "Trump is gonna be big mad. Stand by for ketchup wall art."

It was not entirely clear how many celebrity accounts Musk forced to have Twitter Blue subscriptions. Musk said that he was "paying for a few personally" in response to a tweet about James receiving the subscription despite declining an offer for one from Musk.

The Verge reported on Thursday that James had been given a subscription despite rejecting an email to "extend a complimentary subscription to Twitter Blue for your account, @kingjames, on behalf of Elon Musk."

King tweeted that he had neither paid for Twitter Blue nor provided a phone number, despite his account saying that he had, prompting Musk to reply, "You're welcome namaste."

Trump has previously stated that he has no intention of returning to Twitter, claiming that he prefers to instead keep using Truth Social, where he currently has an exclusivity deal. There have been some indications that the former president, who's again running for the presidency in 2024, could return to Twitter regardless.