Panic begins: “Elon Musk will be interviewed [former President] “Tonight on X with Donald Trump… I think misinformation on Twitter is not just a campaign issue, it’s an American issue. What role does the White House have, the president have? Is there anything to stop it, stop the spread, intervene?” one reporter said. The Washington Post White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said: for a moment Something that was talked about yesterday.
Her response was fairly mundane, but it was suggestive in itself, as it hinted at the problematic nature of Trump giving interviews and speeches.
“You’ve heard us speak many times here about the responsibility that social media platforms have when it comes to misinformation and disinformation.” Responded Jean-Pierre: “They are also private companies, so we take that into consideration. But I don’t know specifically what they have done internally in terms of interviews.”
The fact that professional journalists from major mainstream media outlets think it’s inappropriate for a Republican presidential candidate to be interviewed and for that interview to reach an earful of more than a million people is still a bit surprising (that is, unless you’ve been paying attention to the turmoil in the journalism industry surrounding Trump since he announced his candidacy in 2015). Presidential campaigns have long been about peddling, if not misinformation, then at least partial truths and talking points of dubious veracity.
It’s absurd to act as if this was concocted by Trump, and appalling to claim that a White House housing one of Trump’s former opponents has a responsibility to stop it.
But it’s not just American journalists who are trying to stop him from speaking out.
A few quick notes: “The European Union’s (EU) digital executive agency sent an open letter to tech mogul Elon Musk on Monday to remind him of EU rules on promoting hate speech ahead of his planned interview with former US President Donald Trump.” Reports Politico.
“As the relevant content is accessible to EU users and is expanded in our jurisdiction, we cannot exclude potential spillover effects within the EU.” Written Digital Commissioner Thierry Breton talks about X: “With a bigger audience comes bigger responsibility.”
meanwhile, Guardian Reports Bruce Daisley, Twitter’s former vice president for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, said Musk should face “personal sanctions” that would be “far more effective against executives than the risk of corporate fines” and that even “arrest warrants” could be issued if Musk “continues to misconduct.”[s] “Inciting mayhem” on the platform.
“The question we’re asking is whether we’re going to allow billionaire oligarchs to camp out off the coast of the UK and attack our society,” Daisley said. “The idea that boycotts are our only sanction, whether from famous users or advertisers, clearly doesn’t make sense.” (Musk is on record as only criticizing British Prime Minister Keir Starmer for his response to the migrant riots, calling him a “hypocrite.”)Two-layer care()
It’s hard to believe that the person who said this was once making C-level decisions at Twitter.
“Musk’s actions should be a wake-up call for the Starmer government to quietly legislate again to regulate what we have all agreed is acceptable behaviour on social media.” https://t.co/9M9W6LMl1G
— Zach Weissmuller (@TheAbridgedZach) August 12, 2024
The EU has threatened legal action against X, claiming that a planned interview between Elon and Trump “could have a harmful effect on civil debate.” https://t.co/LbTSaEoiR1
— Mason (@webdevMason) August 12, 2024
Back to the actual event: As for the Trump-Musk debate itself, the first 30 minutes were marred by technical issues, but Musk dismissed them. Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacksThe rest of the conversation was a freewheeling, seemingly harmonious one between Musk and Trump, with nothing particularly revealing.
Trump said: shutter He said he would abolish the Department of Education and “give education back to the states,” and acknowledged that “not all states are going to be able to do it.” (He thinks maybe 35 or so states are going to be able to do it.) Trump downplayed the threat of global warming, which Musk pretty much pushed back. “Houses aren’t going to burn down right away,” Musk said. said“This is where we need to be heading. On balance, it’s better to go faster than slower.” And, very sensibly, progress on climate change should be made “without blaming the oil and gas industry.” “People can still drive gasoline-powered cars.”
Musk used the opportunity to vent his frustrations about President Joe Biden and his Democratic rival, Vice President Kamala Harris. say Talking to them is like talking to an “NPC”, or non-player character.
On world dictators like Russian President Putin and Donald Trump said We already know what he believes: “Getting along with them is a good thing, not a bad thing.”
In short, everyone played their role perfectly and predictably. Nothing shocking was revealed. It was reasonably interesting, as both Musk and Trump are fascinating people with strong principles who command the respect (or at least the attention) of millions of people.
Perhaps what was most interesting was how many people felt threatened by this conversation even taking place.
New York City: The judge Thrown Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has been removed from the state ballot, meaning that, at least for now, people who live here will no longer be able to vote for him.
Quick Hit
- “The idea that Trump will become the de facto Fed chairman is a dangerous idea.” write Jonathan Levin Bloomberg. “Threatening the independence of the central bank is one of the worst economic proposals ever put forward by a major party presidential candidate.”
- “When my mother told me she had never thought about me growing up without a mother, my first reaction was that she was crazy.” write Xochitl Gonzalez Atlantic OceanRecalling her mother’s abandonment, she threw herself into the socialist movement instead of becoming a parent: “But after speaking with those two socialist candidates, my perspective changed. Everyone around my mother was telling her to leave her life here and start another one over there. And they did so without question. I’m sure my mother just saw me as one of those people who had been forced to emigrate for the movement. I think the reason she didn’t consider my feelings was because she didn’t consider her own.”
- Live Caption Glasses Helping the hearing impaired Track conversations as they happen.
- “Ukrainian forces easily penetrated the lightly defended border and advanced dozens of miles into Russia, changing the complexion of the war after a dark year in which Ukraine struggled, often in vain, to halt the Russian advance on its eastern front.” Reports The New York Times. “By Monday, Ukrainian commanders had told President Volodymyr Zelensky that their forces had occupied 390 square miles of territory in Russia’s southeastern Kursk region. Twenty-four settlements had been seized.”
- That’s absolutely true.
Disclaimer: The Democrats’ “don’t worry about anyone else” rhetoric only applies to abortion.
Not your money, your job, your business, your school choice, COVID “snitches,” energy use, DEI compliance, guns, “hate speech,” etc.
And then all of a sudden, “Government is something we do together.” https://t.co/1N0WOqxtdq
— Brian Riedl ???? ???????? (@Brian_Riedl) August 11, 2024
