(Ezekiel Loseke, Headline USA) President Joe Biden threatened on Wednesday to investigate Twitter’s ties to foreign investors—specifically members of Saudi Arabia’s royal family, Politico reported.
Saudi Prince al-Waleed bin Talal has owned stock in Twitter since 2011, but the concerns from Democrats came to the forefront only after the company’s recent acquisition by red-pilled ex-liberal Elon Musk, who vowed to relax the platform’s censorship restrictions.
“I think that Elon Musk’s cooperation and or technical relationships with other countries is worthy of being looked at,” said Biden, whose own family ties to foreign interests are likely to be investigated by the incoming House GOP majority.
The president stumbled through the rest of the statement: “Whether he is doing anything inappropriate—I’m suggesting that—I’m suggesting that it’s worth being looked at.”
Biden failed to confirm or deny if there was an active investigation against Musk.
However, the announcement followed similar threats from lawmakers and federal bureaucrats, including a recent call for an investigation by Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.
Today I am requesting the Committee on Foreign Investment — which reviews acquisitions of U.S. businesses by foreign buyers — to conduct an investigation into the national security implications of Saudi Arabia's purchase of Twitter.https://t.co/IDwnKGaxt7
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) October 31, 2022
In a separate discussion of Musk’s Twitter, Murphy cast the situation as dire and imminent.
He warned the Treasury Department’s Committee on Foreign Investment that it should investigate the situation as a potential national security threat due to the possibility that the Saudis might have a “political agenda.”
“They believe they can use their influence inside Twitter to either repress speech that they don’t like or potentially track their enemies,” Murphy claimed.
We should be concerned that the Saudis, who have a clear interest in repressing political speech and impacting U.S. politics, are now the second-largest owner of a major social media platform.
There is a clear national security issue at stake and CFIUS should do a review.
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) October 31, 2022
