>> Dana: TREY, THANK YOU, AND
STAY SAFE.
>> I THINK IT’S VERY IMPORTANT
FOR THERE TO BE AN INCLUSIVE
ARENA FOR FREE SPEECH.
HAVING A PUBLIC PLATFORM THAT
IS MAXIMALLY TRUSTED AND
BROADLY INCLUSIVE IS EXTREMELY
IMPORTANT TO THE FUTURE OF
CIVILIZATION.
>> BUT --
>> I DON’T CARE ABOUT THE
ECONOMICS AT ALL.
>> Gillian: FREE SPEECH IS WHAT
ELON MUSK IS MOTIVATING HIM TO
TRY TO TAKE OVER TWITTER.
HE SAID THE SOCIAL MEDIA
PLATFORM NEEDS TO BE
TRANSFORMED AND FOLLOW THE LAWS
OF THE COUNTRIES IT OPERATES OR
STAY OUT OF THE BUSINESS OF
REGULATING USERS’ SPEECH.
LET’S BRING IN CLAY TRAVIS
FOUNDER OF OUTKICK.
LET’S PICK UP WHAT HE JUST SAID.
ARE YOU BUYING THIS IS WORLD’S
RICHEST MAN DOESN’T WANT TO
CARE ABOUT THE BOTTOM LINE JUST
WANTS TO DO THE BEST FOR
HUMANITY.
>> ONE OF THE LUXURIES OF BEING
THE WORLD’S RICHEST MAN YOU CAN
BUY THINGS YOU DON’T NEED TO
GET AN IMMEDIATE RETURN FROM.
WHAT I WONDER, WHEN YOU’RE
WOERGD AROUND $300 BILLION AS
ELON MUSK IS HE COULD BUY
TWITTER FOR THE OFFER PRICE HE
HAS OF $40 BILLION.
HAVING REDEFINED THE WAY WE
BUILT CARS AND PROVEN HE CAN
SEND ROCKET SHIPS TO SPACE
BETTER THAN NASA IS LOOKING
TOWARD THE FUTURE OF
CIVILIZATIONS LIKE THOSE TWO
INVESTMENTS DID AND HOW DO I
INSURE THAT DEMOCRACY REMAINS
AS POWERFUL IN THE YEARS AHEAD
AND HE RECOGNIZED THAT TWITTER
IS THE MOST IMPORTANT
MARKETPLACE NOW FOR IDEAS IN
THE UNITED STATES AND PROBABLY
AROUND THE WORLD.
HE WANTS TO PRESERVE IT.
>>
>> Gillian: I THINK YOU SAID IT
BETTER THAN HE PUTS IT HIMSELF.
LOOK AT THIS FROM THE WALL
STREET EDITORIAL BOARD TODAY.
THE OFFER IS CAUSING A MELTDOWN
IN PROGRESSIVE CIRCLES THAT
DON’T APPRECIATE MR. MUSK AS
MUCH ON FREE SPEECH AS THEY DO
WHEN HE IS BUILDING ELECTRIC
CARS.
IS THAT FAIR?
>> YEAH, I THINK IT’S TOTALLY
FAIR.
AND THE REASON WHY THERE IS A
MELTDOWN AND THIS IS VERY
IMPORTANT, IS BECAUSE WHAT ELON
MUSK IS TRYING TO DO IS PRODUCE
CONTENT-NEUTRAL POLICIES.
THE SITTING PRESIDENT OF THE
UNITED STATES IS NOT ABLE TO BE
BANNED WHILE THE AYATOLLAH OF
IRAN IS ABLE TO USE THE
PLATFORM.
SO THAT YOU DON’T HAVE A
SITUATION WHERE THE BABYLON
BEE, A SATIRE SITE IS LOCKED
OUT OF THEIR ACCOUNT WHILE THE
TALIBAN IS ALLOWED TO PROMOTE
THEIR ACCOUNT IN AFGHANISTAN.
IT IS INCONSISTENT, ARBITRARY
AND CAPRICIOUS.
IF WE’RE TRULY GOING TO HAVE A
MARKETPLACE OF IDEAS WHERE
EVERYONE’S VOICE CAN BE HEARD.
THINK HOW CRAZY THIS IS.
WHAT THE LEFT WING MEMBERS ARE
COMPLAINING ABOUT IS THE IDEA
OF EVERYBODY BEING ABLE TO HAVE
THEIR VOICE HEARD AND TO HEAR
THEIR OPINIONS AS LOUDLY AND
WIDELY DISTRIBUTED AS POSSIBLE
AND THAT TO ME IS THE ULTIMATE
IMPORTANCE.
WE GOT THINGS WRONG ON COVID IN
THIS COUNTRY.
ONE REASON WHY IS BECAUSE WE
WERE STIFLED IN DEBATE ON
TWITTER AND CERTAINLY IF YOU
LOOK AT THE WAY THE 2020
PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN PLAYED
OUT PARTICULARLY THE "NEW YORK
POST" INVESTIGATION OF HUNTER
BIDEN, THAT CYCLING MAY WELL
HAVE SWUNG THE OVERALL ELECTION.
WHEN YOU CONSIDER THINK ABOUT
IT.
IF 20,000 PEOPLE IN WISCONSIN,
IN GEORGIA, AND IN ARIZONA
CHANGED THEIR VOTES WHERE THE
OUTCOME WAS 40,000 VOTES, THEN
WE HAVE A DIFFERENT PRESIDENT.
I DON’T THINK IT’S CRAZY TO
THINK BIG TECH HAD A BIG ROLE
IN THAT OUTCOME.
>> Gillian: LET’S ADD TO THE
LIST YOU GAVE US OF NEFARIOUS
WORLD PLAYERS STILL ALLOWED ON
TWITTER.
VLADIMIR PUTIN WHOSE OFFICIAL
KREMLIN HANDLE IS STILL ALIVE
AND WELL UP THERE.
I CHECKED THIS MORNING TO
DOUBLE DOWN ON THAT SO I COULD
DOUBLE DOWN ON THIS AND CONFIRM
IT FOR YOU.
AS HE IS CONDUCTING A GENOCIDE
IN EUROPE.
ALLOWED TO SAY WHATEVER HE
WOULD LIKE TO SAY ON TWITTER.
I WANT TO ASK YOU QUICKLY
BEFORE I LET YOU GO ABOUT THE
DIVIDE BREWING BETWEEN TWITTER
USERS, SOME POTENTIALLY MANY OF
WHOM SUPPORT MUSK’S TAKEOVER
AND TWITTER EMPLOYEES
THEMSELVES UP IN ARMS ABOUT THE
MOVE.
A LOT OF THE ENGINEERS
THREATENING TO QUIT IF HE
ACTUALLY FOLLOWS THROUGH.
>> WELL, FIRST I HOPE THEY QUIT
IF THE REASON THEY ARE GOING TO
QUIT IS BECAUSE THEY’RE UPSET
ABOUT THE IDEA THAT TWITTER
MIGHT EMBRACE MORE OF THE FIRST
AMENDMENT.
I THINK MOST OF THOSE PEOPLE
ARE NOT ACTUALLY GOING TO QUIT.
THIS WILL TURN INTO ALL THE
PEOPLE WHO SAID THEY WERE GOING
TO GO TO CANADA IF DONALD TRUMP
WON THE 2016 ELECTION.
HOW MANY OF THOSE PEOPLE
ACTUALLY MOVED TO CANADA?
I DON’T REMEMBER CELEBRITIES
MOVING TO CANADA WHEN TRUMP WON
AND I’LL BE SURPRISED IF A LOT
OF EMPLOYEES LEAVE TWITTER THE
MUSK BUYS THE COMPANY.
IT DRAWS ATTENTION TO YOU BUT
DOESN’T HAVE ANY ACTUAL
SUBSTANCE BEHIND IT.
>> Gillian: CLAY, WE HAVE TO
LEAVE IT THERE.
HAPPY GOOD FRIDAY TO YOU.
THANKS FOR JOINING US.