Matt Taibbi, once a reporter for the “Twitter Files,” has expressed his disappointment in billionaire Elon Musk’s approach to free speech. After Musk acquired the platform, Taibbi had high hopes, given Musk’s declarations of being a staunch supporter of free speech. However, Taibbi’s expectations were not met.
During an interview on NewsNation’s “Cuomo,” Taibbi shared his disillusionment. He and his colleagues, who worked on the Twitter Files, were initially optimistic about Musk’s commitment to free speech. Unfortunately, they felt let down by Musk’s actions, particularly his treatment of Substack writers, including Taibbi himself.
Taibbi, who now writes on Substack, was among the first to publish the “Twitter Files.” These files revealed internal discussions among top executives at the company regarding the New York Post’s story on Hunter Biden, which contained potentially damaging allegations. The story was a hot topic during the presidential race, with Joe Biden, Hunter’s father, as a candidate.
The conversation turned to Musk’s responsibility in moderating hate speech on the platform during an interview excerpt between former CNN host Don Lemon and Musk. Lemon questioned Musk’s reluctance to censor hate speech, which, while legal in the United States, remains a contentious issue. Taibbi found it peculiar that Lemon criticized Musk for not moderating legal speech more strictly, highlighting a complex debate around free speech.
Don Lemon, who had initially struck a deal with X (formerly Twitter), announced that his agreement with the platform had been terminated. This development came amidst ongoing discussions about free speech and moderation on social media platforms.
NewsNation, which aired the “Cuomo” interview, is part of Nexstar Media Group, also the parent company of The Hill. This connection underscores the intertwined nature of media and the ongoing discourse on free speech and platform responsibility.