X CEO Elon Musk expressed support for Palantir Co-Founder Joe Lonsdale, who fired back at CNBC’s Squawk Box co-anchor Joe Kernen, suggesting that censorship constitutes the “greatest threat to the West.”
On Thursday, Musk shared a viral CNBC segment during which Lonsdale defended the tech mogul’s pledge to fight for free speech, captioning the post with a short yet powerful: “Exactly.” Earlier in the day, Kernen had asked Lonsdale whether Musk's $44 billion purchase of Twitter was worth it, to which Lonsdale replied, “If Elon hadn't bought Twitter- if Elon hadn't done this, the entire west would be at 10x the threat, our civilization works, Joe because we have free speech.”
Squawk Box co-anchor Becky Quick hounded Lonsdale about X revenue falling from the loss of advertisers. Lonsdale pushed back, warning, “The revenue is down, of course, because the brands all went at him because the brands are all run by people who are not tied to the values of Western civilization.” Lonsdale explained further, “There are people being sued right now, who did illegal coordination to try to attack him, which probably was illegal.”
Exactly https://t.co/VdUxNRDD5p
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) September 19, 2024
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Lonsdale referred to a lawsuit filed by Musk in August against advertisers “boycotting Twitter.” The Palantir co-founder accused these advertisers of behaving like a “cartel” to destroy Musk. “To coordinate behind the scenes with lies and to do something like that’s a cartel, trying to crush something, that’s not something necessarily appropriate,” Lonsdale warned.
The lawsuit referenced is an ongoing suit by Musk against the World Federation of Advertisers, accusing them of encouraging a movement of advertisers to leave the platform. X CEO Linda Yaccarino shared evidence gained from the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, which alludes to a “group of companies” organizing “a systematic illegal boycott” against X.
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As the conversation began to wrap up, Kernan comfortably inquired, “So he’s not thin-skinned and sensitive, I don't think at all is he?” In response, Lonsdale shared his view on Musk's ownership of Twitter, reiterating, “He’s fighting to save Western civilization, I think a lot of us are trying to do so as well. This is a huge time for our country.”
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