As X含羞草研究社檚 owner and most followed user, Elon Musk has increasingly used the social media platform as a microphone to amplify his political views and, lately, those of right-wing figures he含羞草研究社檚 aligned with. There are few modern parallels to his antics, but then again there are few modern parallels to Elon Musk himself.

Of course, none of this should come as a surprise.

Back in 2022 when he was trying to buy Twitter, Musk said he was doing so because it wasn含羞草研究社檛 living up to its potential as a 含羞草研究社減latform for free speech.含羞草研究社� Protecting free speech 含羞草研究社� not money 含羞草研究社� was his motivation because, as he put it, 含羞草研究社渉aving a public platform that is maximally trusted and broadly inclusive is extremely important to the future of civilization.含羞草研究社�

Musk often ruminates on the future of civilization. For one, he appears fixated on a coming 含羞草研究社� ,含羞草研究社� threatening to wipe out humanity. And he joined prominent scientists and tech leaders last year in doing the same. Musk has framed threats to free speech as yet another existential crisis looming over the world. And he is going to try his best to save it.

含羞草研究社淔ree speech is the bedrock of a functioning democracy, and Twitter is the digital town square where matters vital to the future of humanity are debated,含羞草研究社� Musk said in an April 2022 post, adding to highlight the statement.

Two years on, the platform 含羞草研究社� now called X 含羞草研究社� has indeed become a haven for the type of free speech Musk has come to champion. In the U.S., he含羞草研究社檚 spread memes 含羞草研究社� and sometimes misinformation 含羞草研究社� about illegal immigration, alleged election fraud and transgender policies, and he formally endorsed former President Donald Trump含羞草研究社檚 presidential bid this summer.

In May 2023, he co-hosted Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis含羞草研究社� official presidential bid announcement. That turned out to be marred by technical glitches but it underscored Musk含羞草研究社檚 desire to turn X into a 含羞草研究社渄igital town square.含羞草研究社� After the event was marred by technical difficulties, Musk extended an open invitation to any other presidential candidate who wants to do one.

Trump took him up on it, agreeing to an interview with the billionaire Tesla CEO on Monday evening. The conversation started with with people unable to join in and began some 42 minutes late.

含羞草研究社淚含羞草研究社檝e not been very political before,含羞草研究社� Musk said during his conversation with Trump.

Overseas 含羞草研究社� where most X users live 含羞草研究社� he含羞草研究社檚 feuded with top officials in , , the European Union and over the balance between free speech and the spread of harmful misinformation. And he in his native South Africa of 含羞草研究社渙penly pushing for genocide of white people.含羞草研究社�

含羞草研究社淓lon Musk is a master of the media and controls one of the world含羞草研究社檚 largest microphones. Musk understands the power of social media in shaping a political narrative,含羞草研究社� said Emarketer analyst Jasmine Enberg.

含羞草研究社淭he concern is that as he pushes his own political agenda, X could suppress viewpoints that oppose Musk含羞草研究社檚 own, either intentionally or by nature of the platform becoming more partisan. That could turn off users who feel marginalized on the platform, and disillusion some who may have earlier bought into his free speech mantra.含羞草研究社�

Musk含羞草研究社檚 political shift playing out on X comes as other social media platforms, notably Meta含羞草研究社檚 Facebook and Instagram, are shying away from politics. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg has never endorsed a presidential candidate 含羞草研究社� and in February, the world含羞草研究社檚 largest social media company announced it to people who don含羞草研究社檛 already follow such accounts.

Lately, Zuckerberg appears to contrast Musk in other ways too. While as recently as January, the Facebook founder was testifying before Congress about the harm his platform has caused children, he seemed to have embraced a more stylish look that includes gold chains, longer curls and a beaming confidence coupled with slightly self-deprecating humor that seems to embrace his eccentricities.

On July 4, for instance, he posted a video of himself riding an electric surfboard, wearing a tuxedo and holding a can of beer in one hand and an American flag in the other. The online response was far more positive than to a 2021 surfing photo, where he含羞草研究社檚 seen slathered in so much sunscreen it looks like he is wearing a white mask.

Musk, meanwhile, is veering from cool nerd territory into what , the elder stateswoman of tech journalism, recently called 含羞草研究社渢he Howard Hughes portion含羞草研究社� of an inevitable decline. He含羞草研究社檚 sparring with those who disagree with him 含羞草研究社� be they foreign governments or people infected by what he calls the 含羞草研究社渨oke mind virus.含羞草研究社�

Last week, the to act more responsibly after the tech billionaire used X to unleash a barrage of posts that risk inflaming violent unrest gripping the country.

Justice Minister Heidi Alexander made the comments after Musk posted a comment saying that 含羞草研究社淐ivil war is inevitable含羞草研究社� in the U.K. Musk later doubled down, highlighting complaints that the British criminal justice system treats Muslims more leniently than far-right activists and comparing Britain含羞草研究社檚 crackdown on social media users to the Soviet Union.

Officials at X did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Of course, some of Musk含羞草研究社檚 current battles over free speech are similar to those that the previous Twitter administration was fighting in repressive regimes that have, at times, restricted or blocked access to the platform to suppress dissent. In Venezuela, for instance, President Nicol谩s on access to X in the country last week 含羞草研究社� the latest in a series of efforts by his government to try to suppress information sharing among people voicing doubts about his claim to victory in the . Maduro accused X of being used by his opponents to create political unrest, and gave the company 10 days to 含羞草研究社減resent their documents,含羞草研究社� but he gave no additional details.

Musk含羞草研究社檚 antics are unlike any other Big Tech leader, and while it may be off-putting to a segment of his X user base, it could also attract eyeballs to his platform. Could this all be part of a broader plan? After all, despite publicly criticizing Musk含羞草研究社檚 antics, those on .

含羞草研究社淴 has remained surprisingly resilient throughout the recent controversy,含羞草研究社� Enberg said. 含羞草研究社淭hat含羞草研究社檚 in no small part due to consumer fascination with conspiracy theories and Elon Musk himself.含羞草研究社�