President Joe Biden called out Elon Musk on Friday, saying the billionaire bought a social media platform that is “broadcasting lies all over the world.”
“Elon Musk is going out and buying an outfit that spews lies all over the world,” the president said at a Democratic fundraiser in Rosemont, Illinois, just outside Chicago, according to the pool.
“There are no editors in America anymore,” he added.
The president’s remarks followed news on Friday that Twitter had laid off thousands of employees across the company — a major round of cost-cutting that could potentially upend how one of the world’s most influential platforms operates a week after the acquisition of Musk.
The acquisition quickly followed reports of an increase in racist comments and hate speech on the platform, and several major advertisers have suspended Twitter campaigns in recent days.
White House press secretary Karin Jean-Pierre told reporters earlier Friday that Biden has been “outspoken about the importance of social media platforms continuing to take steps to reduce hate speech and misinformation.”
“That belief extends to Twitter, it extends to Facebook and any other social media platforms where users can spread misinformation,” he continued.
Shortly before news of his acquisition broke last week, Musk wrote an open letter trying to reassure advertisers that he doesn’t want the social network to become a “free-for-all.”
He sued on Twitter Friday morning that Twitter had experienced a “massive drop in revenue,” which he blamed on “activist groups pushing advertisers,” and later referenced the layoffs by tweeting that “unfortunately there is no other choice when the company loses over 4 million dollars a day. .”
The departing employees were offered three months of severance, he wrote.
