Elon Musk
Elon Musk

Musk Matters...Trump Media and Technology Group, which claims its Truth Social platform is a godsend for Americans looking to freely express themselves without fear of Big Tech censorship, is wary of moves make by Elon Musk’s X, the former Twitter.

It notes that X had long suppressed conservative speech (including at the behest of US government officials) through various means, including “shadow banning”—a surreptitious process in which users may not even know their posts are being hidden from other users, according to TMTG’s Form 10K.

“X also outright banned conservative users such as President Donald J. Trump, who was banned for one year and ten months—even while X continued to allow the Taliban to freely post their views to the world,” states the document.

Under Elon Musk’s private ownership. TMTG sees X going after its target audience of people who treasure a global platform for public self-expression and conversation in real time.

“X may demonstrate a sustained commitment to free speech principles that will heighten competition for users who prioritize such principles,” TMTG said. “Failure to attract a sufficient user base would adversely affect TMTG’s business prospects.”

TMTG also believes there are some potential users who want a platform that is not associated with Trump, who owns 57.3 percent of the company.

The company began trading on the NASDAQ on March 26, hitting a high of $79.38. It now trades at $45.70.

DEI Flunks Out at UT… The University of Texas has laid off about 60 people who worked in diversity, equity and inclusion-related fields.

The terminations will occur over the next 90 days, according to the Austin American-Statesman.

UT is closing its division of campus and community engagement.

University president Jay Hartzell said the funding for DEI initiatives will be diverted to support teaching and research.

Texas has passed one of the toughest anti-DEI laws in the country as part of governor Greg Abbott’s “war of woke ideology.”

Gallup poll

Our own worst enemy. Five percent of Americans view the US as this country’s greatest enemy, according to Gallup.

That the highest percentage since Gallup first asked the question in 2001, and up from one percent last year.

A whopping 11 percent of Independents consider America as its worst enemy, topping the eight percent score for Iran and four percent total for North Korea.

Two percent of Republicans and one percent of Democrats view the US as its own enemy.

For the fourth consecutive year, China ranked as the No. 1 foe, citing by 41 percent of respondents. That is an improvement from the 50 percent score in 2023.

More than two-thirds (67 percent) of Republicans, 40 percent of Independents and 18 percent of Democrats view China as the top enemy.

The numbers flip when it comes to Russia. More than a quarter (26 percent) call it the No. 1 enemy, down from 32 percent in 2023.

The split is Democrats (48 percent), Independents (21 percent) and Republicans (10 percent).

Ukraine and Israel appear on the 2024 enemy list, but not the 2023 survey. Each chalked up a two percent rating.

Iraq, (at one percent) also made the 2024 list.