Elon Musk, who acquired the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) for $44 billion in a move to support what he calls “free speech,” recently voiced concerns about the platform’s future under a potential Kamala Harris administration.
Speaking on a podcast with Joe Rogan, Musk suggested that a Harris presidency could leverage governmental powers to target X.
Rogan initiated the discussion, critiquing the widespread view that Musk overpaid for X. “People keep saying Elon’s a bad businessman because X is worth far less now than what he paid. But no one acknowledges that the original price tag wasn’t reflective of its value,” Rogan argued. He also attributed the platform’s recent financial setbacks to an advertiser boycott.
Musk agreed, adding that a group called the Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH) was largely responsible for encouraging the boycott. Musk labeled the CCDH as a “censorship organization” that pressured advertisers to withdraw support by spreading exaggerated claims about harmful content on X. In response, Musk’s X Corp filed a lawsuit against the group, alleging it used misleading data to stoke fears and discourage investment.
Musk went on to outline what he sees as the high stakes of the upcoming U.S. election for the platform. “If Trump wins, most of the boycott may ease up,” he said. “But if Kamala Harris wins, the boycott will intensify. There’s no way her administration would tolerate X.”
When Rogan asked if the government could legally shut down the platform, Musk suggested several scenarios he believes could come into play. “They could use the DOJ [Department of Justice] under the guise of targeting hate speech or misinformation,” he explained. “The irony is, they’d be pushing misinformation themselves, yet that wouldn’t stop them from bringing big lawsuits against us.”
This isn’t the first time Musk has clashed with federal authorities. Last year, the DOJ filed a lawsuit against his aerospace company, SpaceX, alleging hiring discrimination against asylum seekers and refugees.
