According to a CNN commentator, free speech is “crap,” and Vladimir Putin and Russia will be “all across Twitter” spreading falsehoods to the entire world.
Former CIA case worker and current CNN intelligence officer Robert Baer came on the cable news channel on Friday to address Twitter’s new CEO Elon Musk’s choice to open up the platform.
“CNN Newsroom” host Boris Sanchez started by mentioning Musk’s promise to provide mass amnesty to previously terminated accounts. Musk made his decision after conducting a Twitter survey in which 72.4% of respondents supported reinstating previously banned accounts.
“The populace has spoken. The amnesty period begins next week,” Musk posted in a tweet on Thursday.
Sanchez inquired of Baer about his thoughts on the reinstatement of previously banned accounts.
Baer replied, “I can tell you one thing, Boris: if there are no regulations in place, Putin will be everywhere on Twitter. Fake accounts, cloned accounts, and all the rest, this is a fantastic chance for him.”
“So whenever he’s speaking about the popular voice, Musk, he’s really speaking about Russian intelligence,” Baer continued, without providing evidence.
“The Russians are looking for anything similar to this,” said the former CIA agent.
“They need to have a propaganda campaign against the US and our backing for Ukraine,” he went on. “They’ll also be all over Twitter. This I assure you. Backing the far right, plans, and calls to cease arming Ukraine. You only have to wait.”
According to Baer, the Russians would “throw up” falsehoods that will “cascade throughout India and Europe.” He claimed that Russian misinformation will “appeal” to the far right in Europe and China. He claimed that Putin and the Russians intend to use Musk’s new pro-free speech Twitter “as a tool to save himself as well as Ukraine.”
Strangely, the CNN security and intelligence specialist said, “And, you know, freedom of expression is ridiculous because you can’t cry “fire” in a movie theater. It’s a violation of the law.”
Sanchez asked Baer for ideas on how to lead Twitter to the CEOs of Tesla and SpaceX, and the CNN analyst responded solemnly, “This Libertarian lunacy, in my opinion, is harmful to American national security. And he must reinstate the same limits that existed on Twitter before he purchased it. There is no other option.”
Recently, Musk restored the Babylon Bee, Kathy Griffin, Jordan Peterson, and former President Donald Trump’s accounts.
