OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Actor and producer Rob Reiner of “All In The Family” fame led a meltdown of liberal voices online following reports on Monday that billionaire Tesla/SpaceX/Starlink founder and CEO Elon Musk convinced Twitter’s board of directors to accept his buyout offer.
In a statement posted to the platform he seeks to acquire, Musk noted: “Free speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated.
“I also want to make Twitter better than ever by enhancing the product with new features, making the algorithms open source to increase trust, defeating the spambots, and authenticating all humans. Twitter has tremendous potential – I look forward to working with the company and the community of users to unlock it,” he added.
🚀💫♥️ Yesss!!! ♥️💫🚀 pic.twitter.com/0T9HzUHuh6
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) April 25, 2022
Musk’s statement led to several responses from prominent leftists including Reiner.
“Now that Elon Musk is buying Twitter, the question for all of us is: Will he allow a Criminal who used this platform to lie and spread disinformation to try to overthrow the US Government to return and continue his Criminal activity? And if he does, how do we combat it?” he said, likely a reference to former President Donald Trump, who was falsely accused of “inciting” an “insurrection” at the U.S. Capitol and booted off Twitter and other big tech platforms in January 2021.
Now that Elon Musk is buying Twitter, the question for all of us is: Will he allow a Criminal who used this platform to lie and spread disinformation to try to overthrow the US Government to return and continue his Criminal activity? And if he does, how do we combat it?
— Rob Reiner (@robreiner) April 25, 2022
Noted race activist Shaun King, who deleted his Twitter account but then relaunched it, also got in on the responses.
“At its root, [Elon Musk] wanting to purchase Twitter is not about left vs right,” he said. “It’s about white power.”
“The man was raised in Apartheid by a white nationalist,” the activist said. “He’s upset that Twitter won’t allow white nationalists to target/harass people. That’s his definition of free speech.”
Elon Musk has openly called himself a “free speech absolutist” and said that he wants to create a space where anything can be said about anyone.
That’s why white nationalists are giddy today. Here on Twitter and other platforms that I track daily.
It’s dangerous.
— Shaun King (@shaunking) April 25, 2022
“Elon Musk has openly called himself a ‘free speech absolutist’ and said that he wants to create a space where anything can be said about anyone,” he said. “That’s why white nationalists are giddy today. Here on Twitter and other platforms that I track daily. It’s dangerous.”
“And listen, I don’t even like the Democratic Party,” he said. “So for me, this isn’t about left vs right. Not at all. It’s about how the richest man in the world, a son of Apartheid, raised by a white nationalist, wants to be sure his speech, and that of other white men, isn’t censored.”
And listen, I don’t even like the Democratic Party.
So for me, this isn’t about left vs right. Not at all.
It’s about how the richest man in the world, a son of Apartheid, raised by a white nationalist, wants to be sure his speech, and that of other white men, isn’t censored.
— Shaun King (@shaunking) April 25, 2022
Others responded as well.
“Looks like I’m about to say goodbye to Twitter as well. I’ve been pulling back a bit from social media anyway. This will be just the push I need to go all the way on this app,” New York Times writer Charles M. Blow said.
Looks like I’m about to say goodbye to Twitter as well. I’ve been pulling back a bit from social media anyway. This will be just the push I need to go all the way on this app. https://t.co/QkwIsYy6zS
— Charles M. Blow (@CharlesMBlow) April 25, 2022
Actress Yvette Nicole Brown joined Blow and said she was leaving to join another network hardly anyone has ever heard of.
“I’m leaving too friend. I joined a site called http://counter.social it appears to be fighting against what @twitter is about to become,” she said.
I’m leaving too friend. I joined a site called https://t.co/9N5UIwfEUd it appears to be fighting against what @twitter is about to become.
— yvette nicole brown (@YNB) April 25, 2022
“I will not stay on Twitter if Elon Musk owns it,” added New York Times editorial board member Mira Kamdar.
"the willingness of Twitter’s board to engage with Mr. Musk, the world’s richest man, represents a step forward." And a step toward my leaving this platform. I will not stay on Twitter if Elon Musk owns it. https://t.co/ppmwLRe2wV
— Mira Kamdar (@mirakamdar) April 25, 2022
In a statement following Musk’s purchase, Twitter founder and former CEO Jack Dorsey praised the South African native and expressed confidence in where he believes Musk can take the company.
“I love Twitter. Twitter is the closest thing we have to a global consciousness,” Dorsey said. “The idea and service is all that matters to me, and I will do whatever it takes to protect both.
“Twitter as a company has always been my sole issue and my biggest regret. It has been owned by Wall Street and the ad model. Taking it back from Wall Street is the correct first step,” he added.
“In principle, I don’t believe anyone should own or run Twitter. It wants to be a public good at a protocol level, not a company. Solving for the problem of it being a company however, Elon is the singular solution I trust. I trust his mission to extend the light of consciousness,” he continued.
“Elon’s goal of creating a platform that is ‘maximally trusted and broadly inclusive’ is the right one. This is also @paraga’s goal, and why I chose him. Thank you both for getting the company out of an impossible situation. This is the right path…I believe it with all my heart,” he said.
