Since Elon Musk bought Twitter in 2022, the platform has undergone a transformation from one that largely favored progressives to one that seems to have bolstered the right's fortunes instead. In the years following the purchase, conservatives made significant gains in the culture war, with President Donald Trump returning to power and Democrats left disillusioned and dispirited. As a result, a mood of right-wing triumph has pervaded the platform Musk now renamed X.
Musk's changes to the platform, including rolling back content moderation policies and creator payouts, have led to an environment where the right mainly argues with the extreme right on X. Even some right-wingers like Christopher Rufo are disturbed by how popular bigotry and conspiracy theories have become on the platform, as feuds and controversies erupt there and shake the GOP.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration remains obsessed with pandering to the online right, which has resulted in top officials putting out red meat to appease these users rather than trying to win back ordinary voters who are increasingly disenchanted with the president. This approach is putting the MAGA 2.0 coalition at risk of destruction.
Twitter, or X as it's now known, serves as a crucial public square where people from various ideological backgrounds come together and express their views. The platform has become essential in shaping the views of elites and content creators alike. However, its power lies not only in what is said but also in how it's received – with many users coming together to pile on those they deem enemies, creating a toxic environment that can lead to the demonization of others.
Under Musk's ownership, Twitter has transformed from a platform where right-wingers could engage in nuanced discussions alongside progressives to one where the relatively more moderate right-wingers now find themselves conversing with kooks and virulent bigots. The removal of content moderation policies has allowed these extreme voices to flourish, with creator payouts incentivizing users to produce sensational or outrageous content that often spews hatred.
The Trump administration's fixation on pleasing online right-wing influencers is further exacerbating this problem. Many top officials seem more concerned about appeasing fringe figures than winning back the support of ordinary voters. This focus on maintaining a fragile coalition has led to policy decisions being driven by personalistic whims, White House adviser Stephen Miller's anti-immigrant fanaticism, and individual attempts to curry favor with influential online right-wing personalities.
Despite this, there have been instances of right-wingers coming together over common targets, such as the recent outrage over alleged fraud committed by Somali immigrants in Minnesota. However, it remains to be seen whether this can become a sustainable path forward or if tensions will continue to simmer beneath the surface.
In any case, Musk's changes to X have created an environment that is increasingly hostile and polarized, with users engaging in intense feuds and controversies over issues like Israel, antisemitism, bigotry against Indian Americans, and more. As a result, many are questioning whether Twitter can ever regain its role as a unifying force or if it has become irreparably damaged by the toxic atmosphere that now pervades it.
Musk's changes to the platform, including rolling back content moderation policies and creator payouts, have led to an environment where the right mainly argues with the extreme right on X. Even some right-wingers like Christopher Rufo are disturbed by how popular bigotry and conspiracy theories have become on the platform, as feuds and controversies erupt there and shake the GOP.
Meanwhile, the Trump administration remains obsessed with pandering to the online right, which has resulted in top officials putting out red meat to appease these users rather than trying to win back ordinary voters who are increasingly disenchanted with the president. This approach is putting the MAGA 2.0 coalition at risk of destruction.
Twitter, or X as it's now known, serves as a crucial public square where people from various ideological backgrounds come together and express their views. The platform has become essential in shaping the views of elites and content creators alike. However, its power lies not only in what is said but also in how it's received – with many users coming together to pile on those they deem enemies, creating a toxic environment that can lead to the demonization of others.
Under Musk's ownership, Twitter has transformed from a platform where right-wingers could engage in nuanced discussions alongside progressives to one where the relatively more moderate right-wingers now find themselves conversing with kooks and virulent bigots. The removal of content moderation policies has allowed these extreme voices to flourish, with creator payouts incentivizing users to produce sensational or outrageous content that often spews hatred.
The Trump administration's fixation on pleasing online right-wing influencers is further exacerbating this problem. Many top officials seem more concerned about appeasing fringe figures than winning back the support of ordinary voters. This focus on maintaining a fragile coalition has led to policy decisions being driven by personalistic whims, White House adviser Stephen Miller's anti-immigrant fanaticism, and individual attempts to curry favor with influential online right-wing personalities.
Despite this, there have been instances of right-wingers coming together over common targets, such as the recent outrage over alleged fraud committed by Somali immigrants in Minnesota. However, it remains to be seen whether this can become a sustainable path forward or if tensions will continue to simmer beneath the surface.
In any case, Musk's changes to X have created an environment that is increasingly hostile and polarized, with users engaging in intense feuds and controversies over issues like Israel, antisemitism, bigotry against Indian Americans, and more. As a result, many are questioning whether Twitter can ever regain its role as a unifying force or if it has become irreparably damaged by the toxic atmosphere that now pervades it.
Musk's takeover of X was like, super interesting at first... I mean, people were hyped about the idea of Elon taking over Twitter and changing the game 
But now, it seems like he's kinda messed things up 
The platform used to be this neutral space where ppl could just chill and have a convo, but now it's all about the echo chamber effect 
Where ppl are only surrounding themselves with people who share their views, and anyone who doesn't gets roasted 
Like, Christopher Rufo is all like "Dude, what's happening to us?" 
And it's not just him, it's like, a whole crew of ppl who used to be moderate and now they're just like "Hey, let's join the party!" 
They're all like "Let's give 'em what they want, even if it means alienating regular voters" 
And it's just... I don't know, man. Can't we just have a civil conversation without it getting super heated 
I'm so worried about what's happening on X right now 
. It feels like the platform is being taken over by these super extreme voices and it's hard to have any real conversations anymore 
. I mean, who wants to engage with someone who just spews hatred all day? Not me, that's for sure 
.
. And can we please get some better moderation tools in place? It feels like anyone can just post whatever they want without consequence 
.
. It's scary how much power these people seem to have, and it's only going to make things worse if they get even more of a voice 
.
. We just need some fresh thinking and a willingness to take risks to turn this ship around 
.