Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover: how Republicans, Democrats and Donald Trump reacted
- US conservatives cheer prospect of fewer moderation controls by Twitter after US$44 billion takeover by Elon Musk
- Former US president Donald Trump vowed he would not be returning to Twitter if his account was reinstated
Republican lawmakers in the United States welcomed news that billionaire Elon Musk, who calls himself a free speech absolutist, was purchasing Twitter, but Democrats slammed it as a sign that more needed to be done to rein in Big Tech.
Musk, owner of Tesla and SpaceX, clinched the US$44 billion cash deal on Monday.
Conservatives have accused the social media platform of bias against right-leaning views. They cheered the prospect of fewer controls under Musk, who has criticised Twitter’s moderation.
“Free speech is making a comeback,” tweeted US congressman Jim Jordan, a member of the Freedom Caucus of conservative House Republicans.
Jordan and other Republicans have been critical of Twitter for banning former president Donald Trump and other notable conservatives.
Trump’s account, which had more than 88 million followers, was his primary communication tool during his presidency. He repeatedly used Twitter to claim his defeat in the November 2020 election was due to widespread voter fraud, and he urged supporters to come to Washington on January 6, 2021 and march on the US Capitol to protest the election result.