Biden: Elon Musk may be National Security Risk After Twitter Acquisition

By Ophelia Garrett

In Brief: 

During a recent press conference at the White House, a reporter asked Biden if he thought Musk was a threat to U.S. national security and whether the joint acquisition of Twitter with foreign governments like Saudi Arabia should be investigated.  Biden said investigation was necessary.

The Background: 

After months of back and forth, lawsuits and countersuits, Elon Musk acquired Twitter and promptly took the company private. Musk is allowing more internal control as Twitter has gained a reputation as a platform not of free-speech, but of shadow banning, “fact checking,” and downright suppression. A place where the former President of America was banned while the Taliban’s official account was allowed to stay.  However, it would appear that free-speech is a concern for national security.

When questioned, Biden replied, "I think that Elon Musk’s cooperation, and/or technical relationships with other countries, uh, is worthy of being looked at," he said, pausing several times throughout the statement. "Whether or not he is doing anything inappropriate, I’m not suggesting that. I’m suggesting that… it's worth being looked at."

President Biden had previously called out Elon Musk by name and the social media company as “an outfit that spews lies all across the world,” during a recent campaign event in Chicago.

Notable Quotes: 

“The President has been outspoken about the importance of social media platforms continuing to take steps to reduce hate speech and misinformation.” – White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre