Well-known comedian and podcast host Joe Rogan was joined by Twitter Files journalist Matt Taibbi for a conversation in which the two discussed Elon Musk’s unconventional business tactics on Twitter, which have angered many on the left.
The pair discussed the leadership of “eccentric billionaire” Twitter owner Elon Musk along with the platform’s newfound emphasis on freedom of speech in spite of the fury it has brought from the media. They also touched upon the increased transparency seen from the social media giant given Musk’s drops known as the ‘Twitter Files.’
“I don’t think anybody ever anticipated that something like this would happen where Twitter would get sold to an eccentric billionaire who’s intent on letting all the information get released,” Rogan said in reference to Musk’s Twitter leaks.
“Elon Musk essentially spent $44 billion dollars to become a whistleblower of his own company,” Taibbi said in response.
The journalist added, “I think he’s got a pretty developed sense of humor though and that comes through. I think he gets a kick out of seeing all this stuff come out on Twitter which used to be the kind of the private stomping ground of all these whiny journalists and now here’s all this information that is just horrifying to all of them. $44 billion dollars is a lot to spend on that thrill, but I’m glad he did,” he said.
Taibbi explained that in Musk’s eyes, a company such as Twitter can have no credibility until its users are convinced it is truly transparent in its practices.
“I think he also believes that the credibility of these companies can only be restored by telling people what they talk about in private or what they have been talking about,” he stated. “So, he might be right about that.”
Rogan and Taibi concurred that the left’s attempts to portray Musk in a less-than-stellar light were fascinating to observe.
“There’s an amazing amount of resistance against him. And, you know, just the publicity campaign against him has been fascinating to watch,” Rogan opined. “People go from thinking that Elon Musk is this savior that’s bringing us these amazing electric cars and engineering new renewable rockets to he’s an alt-right piece of sh** who wants Donald Trump back in the office. It’s very wild.”
Taibbi joked, “The speed with which they can sort of shuffle somebody into the Hitler of the month club routine, right? …He went from being the guy who made electric cars sexy to something to the right of Viktor Orbán in ten seconds. It’s amazing.”
Joe Rogan and Matt Taibbi talk about the public smear campaign against Elon Musk for reinstalling freedom of speech on Twitter:
ROGAN: "I don't think anybody ever anticipated that Twitter would get sold to an eccentric billionaire who is intent on letting all the information get… https://t.co/8JPCzEjOa3 pic.twitter.com/Hq2QsySd4p
— kanekoa.substack.com (@KanekoaTheGreat) February 14, 2023
Taibbi, who was one of the journalists selected to report on Musk’s ‘Twitter Files,’ covered revelations that the CIA had been involving itself in Twitter’s content moderation for years.
In his analysis of the drop, Taibbi wrote that there were numerous references to “OGA,” short for ‘Other Government Organization,’ which “can be a euphemism for CIA, according to multiple former intelligence officials and contractors.”
