Elon Musk says Twitter purchase was 'existential' for American democracy on Joe Rogan's podcasts

Elon Musk, in a wide-ranging conversation with Joe Rogan, provided a vigorous defense of his controversial Twitter acquisition, now rebranded as X. He framed the purchase not as a business decision but as a crucial intervention to protect free speech and American democracy itself.

Musk expressed his deep concern about pre-acquisition censorship on the platform, pointing to the banning of Donald Trump as a tipping point. He questioned the narrative surrounding the former president’s tweets, stating, “He was posting things...like 'Hey, we do not riot...please stay calm.' What's wrong with that?" He also challenged the idea that Trump's calls for calm were "dog whistles" meaning the opposite, arguing it was illogical to ban someone for discouraging violence.

Musk’s criticism extended to mainstream media, which he characterised as a "mouthpiece for the Democratic Party," operating as "one hive mind" rather than independent organisations. He cited the coordinated use of specific phrases and the lack of balanced reporting as evidence. Musk referenced the media's coverage leading up to the Biden-Trump debate, recalling, "Every media organisation was saying 'Biden sharpens his attack'...obviously a huge lie." He contrasted this with the lack of fact-checking applied to Kamala Harris when she "deliberately repeated the fine people hoax" on the same platform.

Furthermore, Musk voiced concerns about potential consequences for X under a Kamala Harris administration, speculating that she would "freaking shut down" the platform. He expressed a fear of politically motivated lawsuits, citing the DOJ's ongoing lawsuit against SpaceX for allegedly discriminating against asylum seekers, despite it being illegal for the company to hire non-permanent residents due to the sensitive nature of their technology. He described this as a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" scenario, suggesting the government "decided SpaceX was a target" and then "figured out the crime afterward." This, Musk argued, highlights the dangers of unchecked government power and the importance of platforms like X in maintaining open dialogue and free speech.