Elon Musk’s New Twitter CEO Draws Opposition from Left and Right

Twitter's multi-billionaire owner, Elon Musk, announced on Friday that NBC Universal advertising executive Linda Yaccarino will replace him as CEO of the social media company and nobody seems pleased.

“I am excited to welcome Linda Yaccarino as the new CEO of Twitter!” Tweeted Musk Friday morning shortly before noon Eastern. “@LindaYacc will focus primarily on business operations, while I focus on product design & new technology. Looking forward to working with Linda to transform this platform into X, the everything app.”

Many of Musk's supporters are unhappy about Yaccarino’s connection to a liberal-leaning media conglomerate. Those on the left are also displeased with some of the people she follows on the app.

She was also previously anappointee of the Trump administration.

A look at who of the 1,161 people she does and doesn’t follow on the app she's soon to control raises questions about her worldview.

She follows a large cast of far-right extremists and controversial Trump administration figures but no LGBTQ+ advocacy organizations, including GLAAD, according to The Advocate’s review. Besides Randy Rainbow, Boy George, and a few journalists, she appears to follow few prominent queer people.

She does, however, follow Libs of TikTok (whose owner engages in stochastic terrorism tactics, according to security experts), The Babylon Bee (which supports Gays Against Groomers and Libs of TikTok), Catturd2 (despite its name, the account is influential on the right), and Ian Miles Cheong (a far-right extremist).

According to Michael E. Hayden, a researcher with the Southern Poverty Law Center, which monitors extremism, Yaccarino follows some problematic accounts.

“When the incoming CEO of Twitter follows ‘Bumble’ Jack Posobiec, Libs of TikTok and Malaysian woke mind virus-survivor Ian Miles Cheong, it’s time to start investing your attention to a new platform, if you haven’t already started,” he tweeted.

Some of the LGBTQ+ people Yaccarino does follow include Richard Grenell, the gay Republican former ambassador to Germany and acting director of national intelligence under Trump, and Andrew Sullivan, a conservative commentator and writer.

She follows out tech journalist Kara Swisher and Ronan Farrow, who is also part of the LGBTQ+ community.

Yaccarino has tweeted in support of LGBTQ+ equality.

Once in 2019, she wrote “Everyone’s story matters. So proud to help create the #BeyondIDo campaign with @AdCouncil #Equality #LGBTQ.”

The campaign focused on a teacher who was fired for being gay.

In 2020, she tweeted, “@NBCUniversal's @BowenYang and @YvetteMiley aren't just stars, they are @AdWeek Pride Stars!! All my love and #pride x2!!! #NBCUPride @NBCUTogether #LGBTQIA”

Yaccarino also follows far more right-wing politicians than Democrats, which those on the left raised alarms about online.

Sidney Powell, Lin Wood, Bari Weiss, Jesse Watters, and Chaya Raichik are among those in the Trump orbit that the new CEO follows on the platform.

“One of the candidates to become CEO of Twitter, @lindayacc (#LindaYaccarino) follows @ChayaRaichik10, the #LGBTQ bigot behind the @libsoftiktok account. Why?” wrote one Twitter user Thursday before news of her hiring officially was announced.

NBC Universal announced Yaccarino’s department in a statement Friday. She had worked at the network for more than 11 years.

“We are grateful for Linda Yaccarino’s leadership of NBCUniversal’s Advertising Sales business, and for the innovative team and platform she has built. Linda has made countless contributions to the company during her twelve year tenure, and we wish her the best,” said Comcast Corporation president Mike Cavanaugh.

Musk said that Yaccarino will take over in about six weeks.