The Biden administration’s legal assault on Elon Musk is more than it appears on the surface, according to Mike Benz, a former State Department official and stalwart free speech advocate. This isn’t a legal spat; it’s a political power play.
Benz cracked open this issue in his recent June 6 interview on TNT Radio. Frankly, the Biden administration has a bone to pick with Elon Musk. Why? Musk stands for free speech, a principle increasingly under siege, especially on X, the platform previously known as Twitter. The legal suits piling up against Musk’s businesses aren’t random legal disputes, but vindictive retribution targeting his support for unrestricted speech online. They’re playing the same political games they played with President Donald Trump.
Benz pointed out the line-up of government agencies now hovering around Musk like a murder of crows, all surprisingly appearing post-Twitter acquisition. It’s almost as though they’re crouched ready, waiting for the chance to paralyze his operations then pressure him into reverting to a censorship model for X.
The approach is consistent with censorship industry’s playbook: Intimidate, pressure, and leverage until acquiescence is the only feasible option. Benz observes, “They understand how leverage works. They talk about it.” The goal is to crank up the cost of refusal, turning ‘no’ into a luxury most can’t afford.
Interestingly, Musk’s iron-fist adherence to free speech principles has thrown these government-engulfed censors for a loop. Benz notes the disparity between Musk and other tech CEOs who champion free speech publicly, yet fold quickly under pressure to censor.
The Biden administration’s laser-targeting of Musk hasn’t gone unnoticed. Notably, Brendan Carr, Commissioner of the Federal Communications Commission, openly disagreed with the FCC’s denial of an $885 million award to Musk’s Starlink in a letter dated December 9, 2023. Carr deduced the move as a strategic part in the comprehensive lawfare aimed at painting Musk as “Progressive Enemy No.1.”
Carr also highlighted, in his letter, an underlying truth Biden himself pointed out during a November 9, 2022 press conference. Biden simply stated, “there’s a lot of ways” for the government to probe into Elon Musk. Turns out, he wasn’t wrong.
All in all, the siege on Elon Musk isn’t an isolated incident. It’s an extensive authoritative pushback against a prominent voice advocating undeterred expression online. It’s a power play masked as a legal dispute, but the facts aren’t adding up.
As we watch this saga unfold, let’s not forget what’s at stake. It’s more than one man or one company. If Musk, with all his influence and resources, can be silenced or reshaped to fit their mold, what chance do average conservatives stand? Demand transparency and accountability from the big tech companies, especially for their stance on hate speech and for maintaining equal footing for all viewpoints. Don’t stay mute if you’ve been silenced – let your representatives at CensorTrack know. Together, we need to hold Big Tech accountable.
