Billionaire Elon Musk Defends Decision to Strip Critics of Monetization on X
Billionaire Elon Musk, a surrogate for former President Donald Trump, has defended his decision to strip critics of their ability to monetize content on X, a social network he owns. Musk took to Twitter to respond to a supporter who defended “people getting demonetized for their inexcusable behavior,” stating, “Exactly. The first amendment is protection for ‘free speech’, not ‘paid speech’ ffs.”
Musk also responded to Nick Fuentes, who claimed that “Twitter censorship is back,” by saying, “Claiming censorship while simultaneously getting millions of views is the clearest possible evidence that Fuentes has [poo emoji] for brains.”
Musk’s decision to strip several of his critics, including Trump ally Laura Loomer, of their verification badges and ability to monetize content came after they publicly challenged his support for H-1B immigration visas. The billionaire also suspended several lower-profile accounts.
Musk’s stance on H-1B visas has been met with heavy backlash from Trump supporters, who argue that the visas allow foreign workers to take jobs that should be filled by American citizens. Musk has doubled down on his stance, suggesting that Americans are too “retarded” to be hired for skilled positions and warning his critics in an expletive-laden rant.
Despite the backlash, President-elect Donald Trump has taken sides with Musk, boasting that he has “always been in favor of the visas” and is currently employing many foreign workers on his properties.