Within the weeks following right-wing billionaire Elon Musk’s takeover of Twitter in late October, Republican members of Congress gained tons of of hundreds of followers on the platform, whereas Democrats skilled a purge of followers, a brand new report finds.
In response to an analysis of ProPublica knowledge by The Washington Submit, the most important shifts in follower counts for Republicans have nearly all been features, with the most important winner being white nationalist Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (Georgia), adopted by far proper Rep. Jim Jordan (Ohio), each gaining over 300,000 followers every. Senators Ted Cruz (Texas) and Rand Paul (Kentucky) each gained roughly 200,000 followers, whereas Rep. Matt Gaetz (Florida) added over 100,000 accounts to his follower depend.
In the meantime, the most important shifts in follower counts for Democrats have all been unfavourable, save for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (New York), doubtless as a result of he’s poised to take over for Rep. Nancy Pelosi (California) as the subsequent chief of the Democratic caucus.
The accounts with the most important losses belong to Senators Elizabeth Warren (Massachusetts) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont), each of whom misplaced over 100,000 followers. Rep. Adam Schiff (California) — a member of the January 6 committee and the target of recent attacks from Home Minority Chief Kevin McCarthy (R-California) in addition to a slate of false social media posts — has additionally misplaced round 100,000 followers.
Look, it’s congressional Twitter account follower knowledge from @propublica on this @washingtonpost joint:https://t.co/ZFeagko9mo pic.twitter.com/XaR8s5R6Rd
— Derek Willis (@derekwillis) November 28, 2022
Not solely do these adjustments in observe counts usually observe social gathering strains, in addition they seem to observe the ideological spectrum — a number of the furthest proper members of Congress gained essentially the most followers, whereas essentially the most left-leaning members, Sanders and Warren, misplaced essentially the most.
The Submit notes that these findings recommend that left and liberal customers look like shortly fleeing the platform within the Musk period, whereas right-wing customers are becoming a member of Twitter or turning into extra lively. This may be the results of the truth that Musk seems to be disproportionately banning distinguished left-wing accounts, together with antifascist activist and researcher Chad Loder and leftist anarchist collective CrimethInc, whereas elevating and responding to far proper accounts.
The previous weeks and years have proven that Musk is part of the proper wing, though he insists that he’s politically impartial. He urged followers to vote for Republicans forward of the midterm election, has repeatedly donated to Republicans and has tweeted about harmful far proper conspiracy theories on matters just like the assault on Home Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband and debunked COVID denialism. Musk’s anti-worker, anti-union administration type and hostility toward antiracist and different social justice actions additionally level to a right-wing ideology.
Musk has additionally hinted that he’ll reinstate former President Donald Trump, who was banned for inciting violence across the January 6, 2021, assault on the Capitol. Musk has already reinstated accounts belonging to different far proper figures like Jordan Peterson (banned for anti-trans hate speech) and the non-public account of Greene (banned for COVID disinformation and violent rhetoric).
Such actions have led commentators to invest that Musk views his possession of Twitter as a option to advance his right-wing beliefs.
“[I]t’s now unimaginable to disregard the rising actuality that Musk values proudly owning Twitter as a strong weapon for right-wing activism,” MSNBC columnist Zeeshan Aleem wrote in an op-ed final week.
“Because the richest man on Earth and a proudly exploitative govt, he has a direct curiosity in amplifying the ability of the proper,” Aleem continued. “He shares the Republican Occasion’s hostility to unions, greater tax charges on companies and the ultra-wealthy, and rules on companies. He additionally appears to search out the left’s rising deal with anti-bigotry off-putting, and he doesn’t like challenges to his authority.”
