Senate Dems considering calling Elon Musk to testify on Twitter buy
Musk’s deal to buy Twitter is expected to close later this year
Twitter's content moderators need to attend 'tolerance class': Sen. Blackburn
Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., says Elon Musk's purchase is a step to returning Twitter to its original purpose.
Some Senate Democrats are reportedly considering calling on Tesla CEO Elon Musk to testify about his plans with Twitter after he reached a $44 billion deal to buy the social media giant.
Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash., told Bloomberg in an interview published Thursday: "We’re thinking about" the possibility of hearings.
Tesla has once again been subpoenaed by the Securities and Exchange Commission over CEO Elon Musk’s Twitter habits. (Michele Tantussi/File Photo / Reuters Photos)
The Senate Commerce Committee, which Cantwell chairs, has held hearings with former Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai.
Commerce Committee member Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., called Twitter "central to democracy and our economy."
"We have to understand the censorship or lack thereof, content moderation or not, that is going to be the policy for the new owner," Markey told Bloomberg.
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Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said there was a "powerful imperative" to ask Musk to testify about his plans with Twitter and address lawmakers’ concerns.
Neither Musk nor Twitter responded to FOX Business’ request for comment by publication time.
Musk’s $44 billion deal to buy Twitter was announced on Monday and is expected to close some time this year. But before the deal is completed, shareholders will have to weigh in.
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Elon Musk’s Twitter account is displayed on the screen of an iPhone in front of the homepage of the Twitter website. (Chesnot / Getty Images)
While Republicans largely applauded the deal, Democratic lawmakers and Twitter’s own employees went into a frenzy over the prospect of Musk following through on his stated goal to turn the platform into a free speech free for all.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., called for new "rules" to govern "unregulated" social media. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said he hoped Twitter didn’t "get any darker" than it already is.
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On Wednesday, the Biden administration said it was establishing a "Disinformation Governance Board" to combat online disinformation – news that Musk called "Discomforting."