“The View” co-host Sunny Hostin claimed during a Tuesday episode that Elon Musk’s multibillion dollar purchase of Twitter is about protecting free speech for “straight, white men.”
Co-host Joy Behar questioned why conservatives are thrilled about the buyout, claiming that liberals “like free speech” as well. Musk vowed to ensure free speech is present on the platform by making the company private.
Hostin said Musk “unleashing the trolls” is particularly scary for women since studies found that 85% have witnessed abuse on Twitter. She then predicted other social media platforms that have “real free speech” will take over rather than deal with billionaires “tak[ing] over free speech.”
“I think Twitter can be a really horrible place, and I think people are excited because he is sort of going to unleash the trolls,” Hostin began. “I think he is saying, ‘You get to say whatever you want, I’m going to take away the guardrails.’ And for me, that is something that is a bit scary, and I think it’s going to be scary to a lot of women because there have been some surveys done, and 38% of women around the world have said that they have been on the receiving end of a lot of abuse on Twitter.”
“On Twitter, it is predominantly straight white men, so when Elon Musk says, ‘wow, this is about free speech,’ it seems to me that it is about free speech of straight, white men and so let them have it, let them just go at it. I enjoy the block button on Twitter, I think it has a real outsized influence in our world because politicians and celebrities are on it,” she added.
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Co-host Sara Haines said users being “nasty” on the platform is “not limited to one group” and suggested that Musk’s push to increase verification will lead to less “toxicity” over people saying negative things under their own names. (RELATED: Psaki Responds To Musk Purchasing Twitter)
Co-host Ana Navarro said conservatives are excited about Musk’s takeover due to their recent “war on Twitter” and their narrative that the platform blocks freedom of speech.
“They’ve been waging war against Twitter, they’ve been selling the narrative that Twitter stifles freedom of speech,” Navarro said. “They want to see Donald Trump get back his Twitter platform or to pretend to want to see Donald Trump get his Twitter platform back.”
She then read a tweet by Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis saying, “Elon Musk’s offer to buy Twitter is a good deal for shareholders and raises the prospect that the platform will be a place where free speech can thrive. Not a tool for narrative enforcement.”
“Well I’d like Mickey Mouse to have free speech in Florida,” Navarro said. “You’re going to defend free speech that much, you could start in our own state.”
Navarro then pointed to her concerns about harassment, threats and misinformation on Twitter, urging Musk to take responsibility in preventing the spread of disinformation.
“If you’re going to have a platform that big, you have a responsibility,” she said. “It can’t just be completely free when you’re causing harm.”