Politics
WATCH: Biden Agrees That Musk’s Acquisition Of Twitter Has Led To An Increase In ‘Misinformation’
President Biden agreed with ProPublica’s John Harwood when asked whether Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter has led to a rise in “misinformation.”
Harwood first asked the president if “right-wing media” outlets that have spread “lies about the 2020 election” represent a threat to democracy. “They do both,” Biden replied.
“Look, there’s no editors anymore. That’s one of the big problems. There’s nobody telling… and I’ve, I gave my word I would never reveal them, but I’ve spoken to at least half a dozen serious reporters over the last six to eight years who say to me, ‘I’m worried. If I do not say and do something that gets me…. raises the issue up I’m not gonna get a hit.'”
Biden went on to say that while he is “no expert” on the press, he did note that the “whole dynamic has changed.”
“What about what Elon Musk has done to Twitter?” Harwood followed up. “Lowering guardrails against misinformation. Does that contribute to it?”
“Yeah it does,” Biden responded. The president then spoke about changing technology and the way Americans gather their news, comparing social media to the invention of the printing press. “Where do people get their news? They go on the internet, they go online. And you have no notion whether it’s true or not.”
JUST IN: Biden appears to not be happy with Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter because now people have “no notion” of what information is true.
What he meant to say is how upset he is that the government can no longer control what you see on X.
“They, they, they, they, they go… pic.twitter.com/Fs9eiJ8LUM
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) October 1, 2023
Musk — who rebranded Twitter to “X” after acquiring the company last year — has framed the platform as a way for Americans to view news and opinions from a variety of perspectives. “I don’t read the legacy media propaganda much anymore. It’s a waste of time and a sadness generator,” Musk wrote in an X post Friday. “Just get my news from X – much more immediate, has actual world-class subject matter experts and tons of humor. Sooo much better!”