Biden calls out Elon Musk and Twitter at fundraiser in Chicago space
SME
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President Joe Biden on Friday referred to as out Elon Musk, saying the billionaire had bought a social media platform that “spews lies all internationally.”
“Elon Musk goes out and buys an outfit that spews lies all internationally,” the president stated at a Democratic fundraiser in Rosemont, Illinois, simply exterior of Chicago, based on the pool.
“There’s no editors anymore in America,” he added.
The president’s remarks adopted information Friday that Twitter had laid off hundreds of staff throughout the corporate – a extreme spherical of value reducing that would doubtlessly upend how one of many world’s most influential platforms operates one week after it was acquired by Musk.
Quickly following the acquisition, studies emerged of a rise in hate-filled feedback and posts on Twitter. Many main advertisers stopped Twitter campaigns not too long ago.
White Home press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre advised reporters earlier Friday that Biden has been “outspoken in regards to the significance of social media platforms persevering with to take steps to scale back hate speech and misinformation.”
“That perception extends to Twitter, it extends to Fb and some other social media platforms the place customers can unfold misinformation,” she continued.
Shortly earlier than information of his acquisition broke final week, Musk wrote an open letter making an attempt to reassure advertisers that he doesn’t need the social community to change into a “free-for-all hellscape.”
He tweeted Friday morning that Twitter has seen a “huge drop in income,” which he blamed on “activist teams pressuring advertisers,” and later addressed the layoffs tweeting that “sadly there is no such thing as a alternative when the corporate is shedding over $4M/day.”
Three months of severance was supplied to departing staff, he stated.
