Social media was swamped with reaction to the news that Tesla founder Elon Musk has proposed a bid to buy Twitter for tens of billions of dollars cash and take it private.
Some on the Left threatened to leave the platform, while other commentators and figures contextualized Musk’s strategy. In one example, Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy bluntly said Musk has Twitter “by the b***s” by saying he’ll dump his stock if the board doesn’t approve his offer.
“IM UP AND ELON MUSK CAN F*** OFF!” popular Left-wing commentator Tony Posnanski wrote.
“F*** you, [Elon Musk],” Whitney Dawn Carlson said.
“I am frightened by the impact on society and politics if Elon Musk acquires Twitter,” Max Boot wrote. “He seems to believe that on social media anything goes. For democracy to survive, we need more content moderation, not less.”
I am frightened by the impact on society and politics if Elon Musk acquires Twitter. He seems to believe that on social media anything goes. For democracy to survive, we need more content moderation, not less.
— Max Boot 🇺🇦 (@MaxBoot) April 14, 2022
Lawyer Pam Keith, who has protected tweets, posted that she’ll leave Twitter if Musk buys the platform, and in another tweet wrote, “Dear Elon, F*** OFF. Your ego is WAY bigger than your judgement, and your money doesn’t make you a decent leader of a damned thing. You run a RACIST company, and I will never let my words drive your bottom line. I’ll be doing all I can to convince liberals NOT to buy you s***.”
So mad pic.twitter.com/LTdHCdS6bo
— Bonchie (@bonchieredstate) April 14, 2022
“‘I’m going to leave Twitter if Elon Musk takes over’ is the new ‘I’m going to move to Canada if Trump wins,'” Carol Roth commented.
“I’m going to leave Twitter if Elon Musk takes over” is the new “I’m going to move to Canada if Trump wins”.
— Carol Roth (@caroljsroth) April 14, 2022
“Elon Musk is literally attempting to own the libs,” Frank Fleming wrote.
Elon Musk is literally attempting to own the libs.
— Frank J. Fleming (@IMAO_) April 14, 2022
J.T. Lewis mocked, “Twitter employees gonna need a week of paid vacation to handle this stress haha.”
Twitter employees gonna need a week of paid vacation to handle this stress haha
— JT Lewis (@thejtlewis) April 14, 2022
Charles Payne criticized the Left for resenting the possibility of freer speech online.
“There are some dumb ass conversations on TV about [Elon Musk] bid- these people are missing the point,” he said. “This is not about how he finances the deal. Are they deliberately avoiding the real point of this endeavor because it speaks to how the left has muffled free speech?”
There are some dumb ass conversations on TV about @elonmusk bid- these people are missing the point. This is not about how he finances the deal. Are they deliberately avoiding the real point of this endeavor because it speaks to how the left has muffled free speech?
— Charles V Payne (@cvpayne) April 14, 2022
“So Elon offered 41 billion to buy all of twitter. Now the Board decides if they want to sell it to him? It’s a no brainer offer and they’d all make a shit ton. The only reason to say no is cause they don’t like him right? Do I have that right?” Dave Portnoy wrote. “And if they say yes then everybody who owns any twitter stock basically gets cashed out at 54.20 a share and it all goes to Elon. That’s wild.”
“So maybe it’s not that great an offer. Maybe the Twitter board thinks they are smarter than Elon and can get it to 75 a share. But if they don’t sell the stock price is gonna crash I think,” he added. “Elon has ’em by the b***s.”
So Elon offered 41 billion to buy all of twitter. Now the Board decides if they want to sell it to him? It’s a no brainer offer and they’d all make a shit ton. The only reason to say no is cause they don’t like him right? Do I have that right?
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) April 14, 2022
So maybe it’s not that great an offer. Maybe the Twitter board thinks they are smarter than Elon and can get it to 75 a share. But if they don’t sell the stock price is gonna crash I think. Elon has em by the balls.
— Dave Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) April 14, 2022
Related: Twitter Issues Press Release Addressing Elon Musk’s ‘Unsolicited’ Bid To Outright Buy Platform