Talk of Tucker Carlson’s Twitter Show Prompts Invite From Musk to ‘Left’

Twitter CEO Elon Musk responded to the information of Tucker Carlson’s plans for a brand new present on his social media platform, saying he hopes this encourages extra content material creators, “significantly from the left,” to affix Twitter.

Carlson, the right-wing firebrand who served because the longtime host of Tucker Carlson Tonight, was fired by Fox Information final month, stunning conservatives. Whereas his extremely rated present bolstered his profile among the many proper, he confronted mounting backlash, with critics accusing him of spreading misinformation on plenty of points, together with the 2020 presidential election and the Russia-Ukraine struggle.

The divisive host says he will not be off the air for lengthy, as he revealed plans on Tuesday to relaunch his present on Twitter, which he praised as being one of many solely media platforms to permit free speech in a video asserting his new present.

“Twitter has lengthy served as a spot the place our nationwide dialog incubates and develops. Twitter just isn’t a partisan website. Everyone seems to be allowed right here,” Carlson said.

Newsweek has reached out through Twitter and e mail to representatives for Musk and Carlson.

Particulars about Carlson’s deliberate Twitter present, together with the launch date, are unclear, although he stated he can be offering updates within the close to future.

Musk, who bought Twitter in October in a $44 billion takeover, vowed to revive “free speech” on one of many world’s largest social media platforms. Within the following months, the brand new proprietor confronted a slew of setbacks, together with a number of firms ending promoting offers, and credibility points after quite a few complaints of impersonation accounts after permitting customers to purchase its blue verification checkmark.

Whereas responding to the Carlson announcement, Musk stated he needed to be clear that Twitter and the host haven’t signed a deal, including that the outspoken media persona is topic to the identical guidelines as all content material creators.

“On this platform, in contrast to the one-way road of broadcast, individuals are in a position to work together, critique and refute no matter is claimed,” Musk stated in a Twitter response to Carlson’s video. “I hope that many others, significantly from the left, additionally select to be content material creators on this platform.”

Regardless of assist for Carlson’s new endeavor, not all had been enthused. Many Twitter customers slammed Musk, together with journalist Aaron Rupar, who stated in a tweet that the billionaire is popping the social media platform right into a “misinformation machine.”

“For the second time in the present day I really feel compelled to level out that Elon Musk is popping Twitter right into a right-wing misinformation machine,” Rupar stated.

One other Twitter consumer mocked the information by sharing a video of clips of Musk and Carlson laughing, with the caption: “Tucker and Elon’s contract negotiation video leaked!”