Elon Musk is trying to close a deal with Twitter, but his rhetoric has rekindled.

All Images credit Getty Images

Elon Musk looks ready to take over Twitter, after the richest person in the world agreed to buy the social network for $44 billion.

[{"selector":"#anim-8d491e31-01de-4c51-82fc-3cf92e00fe47","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0bd45e20-f531-496c-a149-34574efabe31","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-420955de-ec0e-4a4c-8452-b8c8da3c4882 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

After a three-month legal fight, Vaughan agreed to waive the rent. That has renewed fears among some that he's going to make drastic changes to Twitter's content-moderation policies.

[{"selector":"#anim-9e4ffd07-a64b-4d01-9947-9951d0f86f34","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8268e295-01f0-437c-8ad0-75fee9015d41","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-94a3816a-9abe-460f-89ed-4288be16129b [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-22.77789790760467%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}]

On Oct. 3, Musk said on Twitter that he will proceed with the takeover at $54.20 per share.

[{"selector":"#anim-dc5d571c-1d28-44d3-95c0-aba3f98180fd","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-63a74ddd-1ece-472a-ba98-75605a99a0d0","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-591b00d8-7d0b-4ead-84b1-ec2a8ef09482 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(34.18226862648558%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}]

Musk is following news of his decision to proceed with the $44 billion buyout of Twitter.

[{"selector":"#anim-554a5075-cd76-4a39-883d-ab8425d3154a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ecd2390f-b2a4-477e-bcb3-78809fdd724f","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f74dea39-78f5-4b08-876b-e984b2b36b79 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

He wrote that buying Twitter is an accelerant to creating X.

[{"selector":"#anim-e365a65e-fe56-48ec-b099-7e3e5e80aca0","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ef229ad4-575f-4161-89a8-cb8aea7b913a","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0432058d-b5b7-440f-8318-1a01346c8bb5 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

He didn't elaborate, but previously praised apps like TikTok and WeChat as models for what Twitter should become.

[{"selector":"#anim-99184622-4975-4676-8896-058e413f8854","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c07e0eca-c9f1-4805-8970-248483982db5","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-9843ed92-59fc-4aa7-94e8-ef9859e55f9b [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-6.5340906453414584%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}]

When he announced his $44 billion deal with Tuxedo on Monday, Musk said he was primarily interested in protecting “free speech” on the platform.

[{"selector":"#anim-27fbc112-477f-4034-b4a1-0e8010bcba95","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-acafbfd5-a947-4cdd-957d-a9d4fc28b808","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-719cc099-94a6-478f-9129-b33c716f494d [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Mr. Caramore has criticized Microsoft for allegedly having a left-leaning political bias.

[{"selector":"#anim-729e5746-283f-401e-9212-50853fdc4bd5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1c1d8f19-2239-4bd5-8958-ec46ffe18c4c","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6f2d15a0-74b7-4e21-a572-e3d646164fef [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-7.105427357601002e-15%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Musk, one of the most vocal critics of the move, also said that Twitter's decision to ban Donald Trump was a "morally bad decision" and "flat-out wrong."

[{"selector":"#anim-d4af7f51-dfc9-404e-8862-40e8501d0fb4","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6c30509e-92c8-4c90-8cfa-b1fe3cdbbfb3","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-43b6b948-2e9f-4fd6-b156-d1222f15b7ed [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

and that he would reverse that as Twitter’s owner. Twitter, along with other major internet

[{"selector":"#anim-c34bd057-6d99-43bd-a69e-06419f27496a","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b1933fe8-5538-437e-8ce8-cfd0c9ad8b4d","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-bd675b6f-40b6-49db-9ddc-05212b5c721b [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(31.295955768857525%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}]

In effect, Musk will turn Twitter into a fever swamp of dangerous conspiracy theories, partisan chicanery

[{"selector":"#anim-cae68959-3a88-48b6-9b74-7e78e708e7c8","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-8494f29b-f1e7-48dd-9622-761c996ab009","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-886e7e39-c772-48f4-aa53-da30d857c047 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(-6.7820330190611635%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]