Ep. 1633 - Is Elon Done Running Twitter?

Episode Summary

Executive Summary: The episode centers on three major stories: Elon Musk’s likely transition away from directly running Twitter amid chaos and a highly scrutinized moderation approach; Twitter Files revelations showing extensive FBI involvement in Twitter moderation; and the looming border crisis as Title 42 ends, which Shapiro argues will trigger a surge of illegal immigration. The show also covers the January 6th committee’s final actions and the George Santos scandal.

Main Topics: Elon Musk’s Twitter leadership transition: Musk polled users on whether he should remain CEO, appears to be setting up a handoff while retaining ownership, and faces investor pressure as Tesla stock suffers and Twitter remains operationally unstable. Twitter Files and FBI-social media coordination: Matt Taibbi’s latest disclosures are treated as evidence that the FBI regularly pressured Twitter to flag or remove content, including satirical or low-engagement posts, raising First Amendment concerns. Title 42 expiration and the southern border surge: Shapiro argues the end of Title 42 will unleash a major influx of migrants, with Democratic officials publicly warning of chaos while the Biden administration insists the border is not open. January 6th committee and Trump prosecutions: The committee is ending its work with possible criminal referrals, which Shapiro says is designed to keep Trump central to politics and help Democrats in 2024. Biden’s reelection strategy and digital organizing: The Biden team is reportedly preparing a modern social-media-driven campaign using influencers, private messaging apps, and peer-to-peer sharing, which Shapiro says will be praised if Democrats use it and condemned if Republicans do. George Santos biography scandal: The New York Times reports that key parts of Santos’s life story may be fabricated, creating a potential political liability for House Republicans given their narrow majority.

Key Arguments: Musk’s Twitter poll and potential resignation from day-to-day leadership look less like a surrender than a staged transition meant to calm chaos while preserving ownership and control. Twitter under Musk is chaotic but more transparent than before, and any successor should preserve transparency while applying a strict First Amendment standard. The Twitter Files suggest the FBI and DHS were not merely investigating crime but actively pushing moderation decisions, including on joke tweets and low-engagement accounts. Government pressure on platforms to remove content without warrants or ordinary law-enforcement process is presented as a serious civil-liberties threat. The end of Title 42 will produce a sharp increase in border crossings because the Biden administration has not built a replacement enforcement or processing system. The administration’s public denial that the border is open is framed as gaslighting, with Shapiro arguing that policy choices effectively created an open-border situation. January 6th is being used as a political weapon to keep Trump and 2020 election controversies dominating the political conversation through 2024. The Biden campaign is expected to exploit digital platforms and influencer marketing heavily, and the same tactics will likely be condemned if Republicans adopt them. George Santos’s alleged resume fabrication could hurt Republicans in the House because their majority is extremely thin.

Data Points: Twitter poll result: 57.5% said Musk should leave as head of Twitter - Poll closed after more than 17 million users voted Twitter poll turnout: More than 17 million users - Users who voted in Musk’s CEO poll Tesla stock decline: More than 57% down this year - Shapiro links investor frustration to Musk’s focus on Twitter FBI-Twitter emails: Over 150 emails - Between Jan. 2020 and Nov. 2022 between FBI and Yoel Roth FBI task force size: 80 agents - Twitter Files discussion of the FBI’s social media-focused task force El Paso migrant estimate: 4,000 to 6,000 new migrants in one day - Projected influx on the day Title 42 ends Current El Paso crossings: More than 2,000 migrants per day - Current daily level in the El Paso sector Migrants entering the U.S. since Biden took office: More than 5 million - Cited by Sen. Tom Cotton as evidence of a wide-open border Border-related migration claim: A thousand migrants a day - Potential daily arrivals in New York City, per discussion of Mayor Eric Adams’s concerns Biden approval rating: 42% (Harvard Harris), 39% (Reuters), 45% (YouGov), 43% RCP average - Used to argue Biden remains a weak 2024 candidate George Santos campaign loan: More than $700,000 - Reported on his financial disclosure during the midterm race George Santos salary/dividends: $750,000 salary and over $1 million in dividends - Reported from his company, Devolder Organization George Santos animal rescue claim: More than 2,500 dogs and cats saved - Claim in campaign biography questioned by the Times

Pivotal Quotes: "There is no successor." — Elon Musk: Musk responding to questions about who would replace him as Twitter CEO "Twitter’s contact with the FBI was constant and pervasive as if it were a subsidiary." — Matt Taibbi: Taibbi describing the relationship exposed in the Twitter Files "the border is wide open" — Tom Cotton: Cotton’s characterization of Biden-era border policy during the segment on Title 42

Implications: The discussion frames Musk’s Twitter changes as a temporary reset, not a reversal, while warning that government-platform coordination and border policy failures could reshape speech, immigration, and 2024 politics. It also suggests Trump-focused investigations and digital campaign tactics will remain central electoral weapons.