Politico White House editor and MSNBC contributor Sam Stein was slammed on Twitter after he appeared to warn Elon Musk against criticizing powerful Democratic politicians.
Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., posted an official Senate letter addressed to Twitter CEO Musk complaining that a Washington Post reporter had been able to create a verified account impersonating him. He tweeted, "I’m asking for answers from @elonmusk who is putting profits over people and his debt over stopping disinformation. Twitter must explain how this happened and how to prevent it from happening again."
Musk offered a sarcastic response, "Perhaps it is because your real account sounds like a parody?"
Musk responded to one user who had suggested he was taking a major risk by poking fun at a Democrat who that may crack down on Twitter, causing Musk to reply, "Are you suggesting the Senator will abuse his political power to attack me?"
Many on the left are sounding the alarm about Elon Musk’s Twitter takeover. (FOX)
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Stein was another sources that floated the warning, tweeting, "Always risky to attack members of congress. Especially risky with Dems assured of Senate power. Curious play by Musk here. He has many interests before Congress."
Many commentators slammed Stein for his comment, hitting him for the idea of a journalist being afraid to attack a member of Congress as well as doing the government's bidding and seeming to root for Musk to face consequences for his tweets.
National Review's Charles C.W. Cooke tweeted, "You are a journalist. Maybe reject this premise?"
The Washington Times Pentagon reporter Mike Glenn tweeted, "According to @SamStein, one mustn’t criticize politicians if they know what’s good for them. Spoken like a true servant."
"Nothing to see here... Just an MSNBC hack doing the: ‘nice company you got there @elonmusk ...shame if Congress DID SOMETHING TO IT,’" Club for Growth Senior Analyst Andrew Follett wrote.
Contributing Editor at The Spectator Stephen L. Miller wrote, "’Don't make fun of us on Twitter or we'll subpoena you and destroy your company.’ probably doesn't play as well as you guys think."
Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass., at a news conference outside the Supreme Court, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Thursday, April 15, 2021. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
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Other Twitter users slammed Stein from another angle, suggesting that liberals and those allied with Democrats do not fear equivalent retribution for criticizing Republican politicians.
"I'm sure there is a reason you find this risky, and why such a risk does not exist in attacking Republicans," Townhall writer and podcaster Brad Slager wrote.
Conservative media commentator Kyle Becker wrote a very similar observation of unequal consequences, "Except if it's Republicans that your network attacks every day 24/7, 365 days a year, amirite?"
U.S. politicians often use social media platforms like Twitter to communicate with the public. (Fox News )
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Independent journalist Glenn Greenwald warned that many Democrats like Markey already have a history of pushing tech companies to do their bidding.
"Here's @SenMarkey demanding tech companies censor in accordance with his political views," Greenwald said as he shared a video, "all in the context of his party threatening social media companies with legal and regulatory reprisals if they fail to obey their censorship orders. Classic tyranny:"