Since Elon Musk bought Twitter in 2022, it has often seemed that he transformed a platform that favored progressives into one that bolstered the right instead.
And in the years after that purchase, the right’s political fortunes improved dramatically. The woke era [came to a close](https://www.vox.com/2024-elections/378644/progressives-left-backlash-retreat-kamala-harris-pivot-center), conservatives gained the upper hand in the culture war, and President Donald Trump returned to power while Democrats and leftists became disillusioned and dispirited. A mood of right-wing triumph pervaded the platform Musk renamed X.
But in recent months, X has lost its ability to unite the right. Instead, it’s increasingly the place where Trump supporters turn on each other.
Importantly, much of this is happening *because* of X. That is: the changes to the platform’s policies and culture that have been made under Musk’s ownership have altered the norms of what it’s acceptable for right-wingers to say, and have incentivized a race to the bottom for engagement. It turns out that once guardrails against bigotry and misinformation are removed, there’s a huge audience-side “demand” on the right for both.
frustrating2020 on
Don’t do that…. Dont give us hope
Rude-Strawberry-6360 on
Promises promises.
turquoise_amethyst on
Maybe they should try actually releasing the Epstein files. That should fix things.
gexckodude on
Let me know when they start raping each other like they do kids.
1984isAMidlifeCrisis on
They’ll still vote R, no matter how odious they are.
Shooter_McGavin_666 on
Not really. Instead of seeing that their dear leader is a pedo and that the people they elected to enforce fiscal responsibility spent more than last year, they’ll just get wrapped up in some YouTuber fake conspiracy.
looming-frog on
Elon musk also created a monster, that will deny us space travel for a thousand years.
because we lack regulations and he is greedy
srandrews on
Quoting op comment
>altered the norms of what it’s acceptable for right-wingers to say, and have incentivized a race to the bottom for engagement. It turns out that once guardrails against bigotry and misinformation are removed, there’s a huge
I agree this is happening with right-wingers AND almost every human exposed to social media. It isn’t X exclusively either.
The business model for social media is fundamentally flawed regarding the welfare of the human mind. The product is the user . Grievance, outrage, the ability for undeserved voices to be heard the supply chain.
TVPaulD on
> Since Elon Musk bought Twitter in 2022, it has often seemed that he transformed a platform that favored progressives into one that bolstered the right instead.
No, it hasn’t. It never “favoured” progressives. That’s just the bullshit narrative the likes of Musk were pushing.
radioactive_sharpei on
This is a group of people constantly ready to shove a knife into the back of an ally. Bound to happen.
martsand on
Many serious studies with actual sata show that twitter was always a pro conservative platform. Never ever has it favored progressists.
X has just made it single sided by banning political opponents (see brazil, where twitter before had resisted) and by banning so many words and freedom of speech it is now ridiculous
mvallas1073 on
Which monster? Twitter, Trump, DOGE, or Grok?
…that’s obviously a trick question, the answer is “yes”
TwistIllustrious9901 on
Good!
jarvisesdios on
It’s made him billions so… Does it really matter? I’m not saying he isn’t one of the biggest assholes of all time, but even if it destroys the right… He’s still the richest piece of shit in the world and he made a fuck ton of money off them.
Even if he loses all his companies tomorrow the man has enough wealth for centuries.
ddiggler2469 on
one could only hope
TheWaspinator on
Twitter was always a horrible place, it’s just become more obvious
clumpolump on
I wish that headline were literal
Toobatheviking on
I downloaded Twitter years ago because somebody told me it was cool.
It just never clicked with me. I didn’t use it, I didn’t have any friends on it, etc.
When all the DOGE shenanigans happened I decided to delete my account.
When I logged in for the first time in years, my recommended (friends?) list was absolutely slammed full of the right wing lunatic greatest hits.
I never looked at anything remotely right wing.
Rich-Badger-7601 on
>”Now it’s the right’s turn in the barrel.”
If this isn’t the perfect metaphor for American politics then I don’t know what is.
rickjnewman on
Remember Musk’s third party? Maybe he’ll create it by splitting the GOP into two 😄
codacoda74 on
Reality is liberal leaning. Formerly known as Twitter is trying to promote non-reality and finding it problematic.
walksonfourfeet on
Tear faster please
emcoffey3 on
Let them fight.
0nlyhalfjewish on
I’ve never had a twitter account but I might want one just so I can see the infighting
kerkula on
All these articles about MAGA infighting are distractions. Instead follow the money. The oligarchs are in charge and what ever they want they get. Doesn’t matter who’s pissed at whom.
SkollFenrirson on
Twitter was a cesspool long before Musk acquired it.
Ellemscott on
My theory is Elon is getting more and more desperate as he sees the walls closing in.
Outrageous_Space8083 on
Good
mewdeeman on
Nothing is tearing the right apart. Nothing, absolutely nothing can convince them of anything other than their deluded version of reality.
I_who_have_no_need on
>Since Elon Musk bought Twitter in 2022, it has often seemed that he transformed a platform that favored progressives into one that bolstered the right instead
This says more about Vox than Twitter
DharmaKarmaBrahma on
Throw some shade his way
danis1973 on
Elon has made it acceptable to be pro-nazi and
What’s tearing the American Republican Party apart is the fight between the wing that wants to fully embrace Nazism and the other side of the party who thinks it’s bad politics. Even lunatics like Loomer are admitting that the right has a nazi problem.
Sweaty_Marzipan4274 on
I’m thoroughly upset at how blind ppl are too this whole operation. There is no hope with ppl this fkn stupid
dominarhexx on
It’s actually a misconception that Elon has ever created anything. Much like his businesses, he just threw money at an already existing thing.
Cold_Specialist_3656 on
It’s not tearing them apart.
He turned Twitter into his personal propaganda megaphone. And built an LLM he could use to fill it with propaganda amplifying bots.
Thias_Thias on
Yeah well, that’s what fascism looks like, it’s inherently unstable for a reason. There’s always another rightwing incel that hopes for attention by saying something even *more* egregious, thus moving the Overton Window just the tiniest bit. Over years and millions of fascist losers doing that, this accumulates.
38 Comments
Since Elon Musk bought Twitter in 2022, it has often seemed that he transformed a platform that favored progressives into one that bolstered the right instead.
And in the years after that purchase, the right’s political fortunes improved dramatically. The woke era [came to a close](https://www.vox.com/2024-elections/378644/progressives-left-backlash-retreat-kamala-harris-pivot-center), conservatives gained the upper hand in the culture war, and President Donald Trump returned to power while Democrats and leftists became disillusioned and dispirited. A mood of right-wing triumph pervaded the platform Musk renamed X.
But in recent months, X has lost its ability to unite the right. Instead, it’s increasingly the place where Trump supporters turn on each other.
Intense and bitter public feuds have broken out over such topics as Israel, [antisemitism](https://www.vox.com/politics/465329/young-republican-leaked-groupchat-antisemitism-shapiro-walsh), [bigotry against Indian Americans](https://x.com/DineshDSouza/status/1985171317377638727), and whether people whose ancestors came to the US more recently should be considered [less authentically American](https://x.com/EWErickson/status/2001808543519838302). Conspiracy theories are running rampant, with many [targeting](https://x.com/HarmeetKDhillon/status/2005446072634872033) the Trump administration itself.
Importantly, much of this is happening *because* of X. That is: the changes to the platform’s policies and culture that have been made under Musk’s ownership have altered the norms of what it’s acceptable for right-wingers to say, and have incentivized a race to the bottom for engagement. It turns out that once guardrails against bigotry and misinformation are removed, there’s a huge audience-side “demand” on the right for both.
Don’t do that…. Dont give us hope
Promises promises.
Maybe they should try actually releasing the Epstein files. That should fix things.
Let me know when they start raping each other like they do kids.
They’ll still vote R, no matter how odious they are.
Not really. Instead of seeing that their dear leader is a pedo and that the people they elected to enforce fiscal responsibility spent more than last year, they’ll just get wrapped up in some YouTuber fake conspiracy.
Elon musk also created a monster, that will deny us space travel for a thousand years.
because we lack regulations and he is greedy
Quoting op comment
>altered the norms of what it’s acceptable for right-wingers to say, and have incentivized a race to the bottom for engagement. It turns out that once guardrails against bigotry and misinformation are removed, there’s a huge
I agree this is happening with right-wingers AND almost every human exposed to social media. It isn’t X exclusively either.
The business model for social media is fundamentally flawed regarding the welfare of the human mind. The product is the user . Grievance, outrage, the ability for undeserved voices to be heard the supply chain.
> Since Elon Musk bought Twitter in 2022, it has often seemed that he transformed a platform that favored progressives into one that bolstered the right instead.
No, it hasn’t. It never “favoured” progressives. That’s just the bullshit narrative the likes of Musk were pushing.
This is a group of people constantly ready to shove a knife into the back of an ally. Bound to happen.
Many serious studies with actual sata show that twitter was always a pro conservative platform. Never ever has it favored progressists.
X has just made it single sided by banning political opponents (see brazil, where twitter before had resisted) and by banning so many words and freedom of speech it is now ridiculous
Which monster? Twitter, Trump, DOGE, or Grok?
…that’s obviously a trick question, the answer is “yes”
Good!
It’s made him billions so… Does it really matter? I’m not saying he isn’t one of the biggest assholes of all time, but even if it destroys the right… He’s still the richest piece of shit in the world and he made a fuck ton of money off them.
Even if he loses all his companies tomorrow the man has enough wealth for centuries.
one could only hope
Twitter was always a horrible place, it’s just become more obvious
I wish that headline were literal
I downloaded Twitter years ago because somebody told me it was cool.
It just never clicked with me. I didn’t use it, I didn’t have any friends on it, etc.
When all the DOGE shenanigans happened I decided to delete my account.
When I logged in for the first time in years, my recommended (friends?) list was absolutely slammed full of the right wing lunatic greatest hits.
I never looked at anything remotely right wing.
>”Now it’s the right’s turn in the barrel.”
If this isn’t the perfect metaphor for American politics then I don’t know what is.
Remember Musk’s third party? Maybe he’ll create it by splitting the GOP into two 😄
Reality is liberal leaning. Formerly known as Twitter is trying to promote non-reality and finding it problematic.
Tear faster please
Let them fight.
I’ve never had a twitter account but I might want one just so I can see the infighting
All these articles about MAGA infighting are distractions. Instead follow the money. The oligarchs are in charge and what ever they want they get. Doesn’t matter who’s pissed at whom.
Twitter was a cesspool long before Musk acquired it.
My theory is Elon is getting more and more desperate as he sees the walls closing in.
Good
Nothing is tearing the right apart. Nothing, absolutely nothing can convince them of anything other than their deluded version of reality.
>Since Elon Musk bought Twitter in 2022, it has often seemed that he transformed a platform that favored progressives into one that bolstered the right instead
This says more about Vox than Twitter
Throw some shade his way
Elon has made it acceptable to be pro-nazi and
What’s tearing the American Republican Party apart is the fight between the wing that wants to fully embrace Nazism and the other side of the party who thinks it’s bad politics. Even lunatics like Loomer are admitting that the right has a nazi problem.
I’m thoroughly upset at how blind ppl are too this whole operation. There is no hope with ppl this fkn stupid
It’s actually a misconception that Elon has ever created anything. Much like his businesses, he just threw money at an already existing thing.
It’s not tearing them apart.
He turned Twitter into his personal propaganda megaphone. And built an LLM he could use to fill it with propaganda amplifying bots.
Yeah well, that’s what fascism looks like, it’s inherently unstable for a reason. There’s always another rightwing incel that hopes for attention by saying something even *more* egregious, thus moving the Overton Window just the tiniest bit. Over years and millions of fascist losers doing that, this accumulates.
Well, could that monster work faster?