More than 60 left-wing groups are pressuring advertisers into canceling their advertisements on Twitter following Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ presidential announcement in a Wednesday Twitter space with Elon Musk.
The groups accused Musk of embracing “right-wing extremism” for allowing DeSantis to spread his so-called “lies and authoritarian views,” according to a Thursday press release by media activist group Free Press. Branding themselves as the “#StopToxicTwitter coalition,” the activists also are protesting against Daily Caller co-founder Tucker Carlson launching his new show on Twitter after his departure from Fox News.
“Elon Musk has already turned Twitter into a hellscape of hate and conspiracy. But his full-throated embrace of Ron DeSantis – only weeks after Tucker Carlson announced he would revive his Fox News show on Twitter – is a new low for what was once one of the world’s most important communication platforms,” Accountable Tech Co-Founder and Executive Director Nicole Gill said.
Another left-wing activist accused Musk of supporting “bigotry and hate” by airing DeSantis and Carlson.
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“Giving airtime to Ron DeSantis is not about free speech on Twitter or making the platform a public square,” Nora Benavidez, Free Press Action’s Senior Counsel and Director of Digital Justice and Civil Rights said. “Elon Musk is instead prioritizing voices like his that promote bigotry and hate. This latest Musk stunt merely showcases a man who has misused his power in Florida to attack every basic right Floridians have.” (RELATED: Elon Musk’s Twitter Space For Ron DeSantis Fails, Glitches On First Try)
“From DeSantis’ attacks on voting rights, protest rights and academic freedoms to denying basic protections for the LGBTQ+ community, his glitchy announcement on Wednesday showed us all what Twitter has become: a megaphone for right-wing reactionary views,” she continued. “A new CEO won’t suddenly make Twitter less of a toxic cesspool, however much some ad companies want to believe it. With Musk as the chair, Twitter will only continue to falter and fail as its owner seeks to do anything to grab headlines and garner attention.”
The coalition includes groups such as MediaJustice, Muslim Advocates, NAACP, and the National Center for Transgender Equality.
Left-wing dark money groups have pressured advertisers to quit Twitter following Musk’s takeover. Accountable Tech, a Hillary Clinton dark money group, wrote a letter attempting to hurt Musk’s Twitter after he took over in October, according to Fox Business.
Left-wing billionaire donor Pierre Omidyar provided over $500,000 to the group in 2021 and 2022, the Washington Free Beacon reported. Omidyar has reportedly bankrolled at least $2 million to at least six other activist organizations targeting Musk.
Linda Yaccarino, who Musk named the new Twitter CEO on May 12, was previously an advertising executive with NBC Universal. She oversaw roughly $13 billion in annual ad revenue and became well known for her strong relationships with marketers and ad agencies, per The Wall Street Journal.