The special counsel examining the events of January 6th, 2020, has successfully obtained crucial information from former President Donald Trump’s Twitter account, which now goes by the name Twitter X, despite facing initial difficulties. Recently unsealed court documents reveal the extensive measures taken to acquire this data from the popular social media platform.

A search warrant was issued, compelling Twitter to provide all tweets created, composed, liked, or retweeted by the @realdonaldtrump account, even if they had been deleted at a later time. Additionally, the company was required to furnish any direct messages sent to and received by @realdonaldtrump, as well as any potential associated accounts used on the same device. The court also demanded details about the devices utilized, account privacy settings, historical IP addresses from October 2020 to January 2021, and location data during that timeframe.

Prosecutors emphasized the importance of Twitter complying with a nondisclosure order to ensure that Trump would not be made aware of the search warrant. They argued that any disclosure could potentially jeopardize the ongoing investigation and the safety of witnesses. Twitter, on the other hand, claimed that certain information might be protected under executive privilege. However, both prosecutors and the judge questioned this assertion, considering the unlikelihood of official government discussions occurring through direct messages.

US District Judge Beryl Howell highlighted Twitter’s exceptional action of providing Trump with prior notice of the search warrant, noting that this was not extended to other users. In a lighthearted manner, the judge speculated whether Elon Musk’s involvement aimed to create a sense of special welcome for Trump on the platform. Despite the reinstatement of Trump’s Twitter account under Musk’s oversight, the former president has not yet resumed posting on the platform.