NEWS that Elon Musk purchased Twitter rocked the world on Monday, causing a mixed bag of reactions across the political spectrum.
While conservatives have generally welcomed the news enthusiastically, many liberals have been plotting a mass exodus from the platform, despite Musk's plea asking his "worst" critics to stay on the site.
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Loud mouthed actress and notorious activist Jameela Jamil was one of the first celebrities to express she would be leaving Twitter as a result of Musk's takeover.
She wrote, alongside pictures of her dog: "Ah he got twitter. I would like this to be my what lies here as my last tweet. Just really *any* excuse to show pics of Barold.
"I fear this free speech bid is going to help this hell platform reach its final form of totally lawless hate, bigotry, and misogyny. Best of luck."
Fellow actress and activist Mia Farrow also suggested she would stop using Twitter after the purchase was announced.
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The Rosemary's Baby star shared: "Well if Twitter becomes even more toxic - with Trumpy-treasonous lies & all the hatred - it will be taken less seriously, and people like me will quit - for peace of mind."
One of the most negative reactions, perhaps, came from controversial activist Shaun King, who claimed Musk bought Twitter for "white power."
Shortly before his account went offline, King wrote: "The man [Musk] was raised in Apartheid by a white nationalist. He's upset that Twitter won't allow white nationalists to target/harass people. That's his definition of free speech."
While conservatives quickly celebrated what appeared to be King's exit from the platform, the activist clarified on Monday that he didn't delete his account.
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King claimed he only paused his account because he was getting "death threats and hack attempts" from the people "who stormed the Capitol."
Massachusetts senator Elizabeth Warren also weighed in on the Twitter buyout. She did not go as far as pledging to leave Twitter, but she did call the deal "dangerous for our democracy."
Warren explained: "Billionaires like Elon Musk play by a different set of rules than everyone else, accumulating power for their own gain. We need a wealth tax and strong rules to hold Big Tech accountable."
But not everyone was upset over Musk's acquisition of Twitter, with many conservatives cheering the deal as a win for free speech.
Among them was Fox News host Tucker Carson, who celebrated the news by going back to the platform after a temporary suspension for sharing tweets by conservative parody account The Babylon Bee, which Twitter said violated its terms of service.
"We're back," he tweeted on Monday.
Fellow Fox News host Mark Levin also tweeted on Monday saying he had decided to return to the platform "thanks to new ownership."
Georgia representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, who had her personal account banned over Covid-19 misinformation, also gladly welcomed Twitter's new owner, claiming Musk would get her account reinstated.
"Prepare for blue check mark full scale meltdown after @elonmusk seals the deal and I should get my personal Twitter account restored," she tweeted from her congressional account.
Controversial rapper Azealia Banks also announced she would be going back to Twitter after being suspended over offensive posts.
"I actually *have" to thank Elon for buying Twitter, I actually got back on," she said on Instagram, adding the ban had cost her money.
Banks' account remains suspended, however, and she has returned to Twitter under a new handle.
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO will be paying $54.20per share in cash to acquire the social media platform, as part of a deal announced on Monday.
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It will take several months to complete the takeover, which is subject to shareholder and regulatory approval.
Musk has described himself as a "free speech absolutist" and has pledged to remove bots from the site by verifying all "real humans."
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