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Elon Musk Hilariously Trolls Ocasio-Cortez in Twitter Exchange

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OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.


Twitter CEO Elon Musk and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) sparred on the platform after he suspended journalists from major outlets over a rules violation. Musk took action against reporters from the Washington Post, New York Times, and CNN for posting what he called “assassination coordinates.”

Fox News reported Friday that the New York Democrat was among a host of others who criticized Musk’s suspension of the left-leaning journos, accusing him of an “abuse of power” while imploring him to “lay off the proto-fascism.”

Musk responded by pointing out the journalists violated a new Twitter policy of posting real-time location information.

“Take a beat and lay off the proto-fascism. Maybe try putting down your phone,” AOC — who is a prolific social media user — told Musk in a tweet quoting one of his posts.

“They posted my exact real-time location, basically assassination coordinates, in (obvious) direct violation of Twitter terms of service,” Musk wrote Thursday.

“Accounts engaged in doxxing receive a temporary 7 day suspension,” he added.

Fox News reported that he also defended his decision in a Twitter Spaces conference call.

Musk added: “Criticizing me all day long is totally fine, but doxxing my real-time location and endangering my family is not.”

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Ocasio-Cortez went on to say that Musk, like her, is a public figure and, as such, can sometimes fall victim to real-time location exposure.

“You’re a public figure. An extremely controversial and powerful one. I get feeling unsafe, but descending into abuse of power + erratically banning journalists only increases the intensity around you,” Ocasio-Cortez wrote.

“As someone who has been subject to real + dangerous plots, I do get it. I didn’t have security and have experienced many scary incidents,” she noted further.

“In fact, many of the right-wing outlets you now elevate published photos of my home, car, etc. At a certain point you gotta disconnect,” she added.

Musk blew off the New York Democrat’s advice and criticism with a dismissive, “You first.”

Fox News Digital added:

Earlier in the day, Musk banned journalists including CNN correspondent Donie O’Sullivan, New York Times technology reporter Ryan Mac, Washington Post reporter Drew Harwell, The Intercept journalist Micah Lee, Mashable writer Matt Binder, former MSNBC host Keith Olbermann and former Vox journalist Aaron Rupar.

He said the suspension would be lifted after seven days, but seemed to change his mind hours later as he polled his followers, asking them what course of action should be taken.

Later, Musk posted one of his signature polls asking if the suspended users should be reinstated immediately or after the seven-day period.

Musk and Ocasio-Cortez have tussled on Twitter for months. In April, for example, she made a comment that he believed was directed at him and he riffed on her with a single-sentence response.

“Tired of having to collectively stress about what explosion of hate crimes is happening bc some billionaire with an ego problem unilaterally controls a massive communication platform and skews it because Tucker Carlson or Peter Thiel took him to dinner and made him feel special,” she said as Musk was making noises about buying Twitter.

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“Stop hitting on me, I’m really shy,” Musk fired back.

She initially responded to his tweet with, “I was talking about Zuckerberg but ok,” but then she deleted the tweet.

The following month, Musk laid out a challenge, starting by taking a swipe at the way she and other liberals talk about billionaires as if they are inherently evil people.

“Use of the word ‘billionaire’ as a pejorative is morally wrong & dumb,” he said to begin a series of tweets. “If the reason for it is building products that make millions of people happy.”

Then came a poll for his Twitter followers in which he asked “Who do you trust less? Real question” followed by a two choice poll pitting Politicians against billionaires.

Test your skills with this Quiz!

He then issued a challenge to Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, “I dare you to run the same poll with your followers,” he said.

At the time, she told Bloomberg News that she would trade in her Tesla to get another electric car from a company that allows its workers to be part of a union.

“He’s a billionaire. I could care less what he thinks,” she said of his recent announcement that he would be voting Republican.

“At the time, it was the only EV that could get me from New York to Washington on like one, or one-and-a-half charges,” Ocasio-Cortez added. “I would love to switch.”

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