A conflict arose this week between Elon Musk, the owner of the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), and a group named “White Dudes for Harris” when the group’s account was briefly suspended. This led to a strong reaction from X users and others who argued that Musk’s actions were driven by his political beliefs, especially since the account had raised $4 million to back Democratic candidate Kamala Harris’s campaign.

This was the last straw for many who believe that Elon Musk is intentionally boosting right-wing content on the site while punishing more left-wing content creators.

The group “White Dudes for Harris” appeared suddenly and was supported by a few well-known Hollywood celebrities, whose large fan bases quickly grew the account’s followers to 100,000 as of today. It took inspiration from Black Women for Harris and White Women for Harris, both of which also hosted large fundraising Zoom calls. The @dudes4harris account describes itself in its bio as “Just a few dudes who support Kamala Harris.”

The “White Dudes for Harris” initiative gained traction after they hosted a YouTube livestream that included appearances of notable public figures and celebrities including Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bradley Whitford, and J.J. Abrahams.

The impressive $4 million raised by the group resulted from reaching an audience of nearly 200,000 viewers who were invited to contribute to the campaign to support Harris’s bid for the upcoming Presidential election.

Chapter 1: X Abruptly Suspends @DudesForHarris

Shortly after the YouTube event ended, the group’s X account was abruptly suspended. One of the individuals who helped promote the group, Mike Nellis from the digital advertising firm Authentic, said that they received a notification from the platform that said that they violated X’s policies on “evading suspension”.

Nellis turned to his personal account to voice his frustration and claimed that Musk’s ties with the Republican party and vocal support for Trump’s campaign were the primary motivation for the suspension.

“These guys are running scared of the success we’ve had tonight, but we’re not going to quit,” Nellis published on his X account shortly after receiving the suspension notice.

The suspension quickly became a topic of heated discussion on the platform.

Chapter 2: Elon Musk Abstains from Addressing His Critics

Many of the group’s backers accused Musk of having a political bias and claimed that he personally intervened to block the account.

Ross Morales Rocketto, another founder of the group, wrote on X: “Got @elonmusk scared,” alongside an image of the suspended page.

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The controversy was deepened by the fact that Musk had recently shared a ‘deepfake’ video of Harris saying that she was a “diversity hire” and a “deep-state puppet” (without a disclaimer).

Musk did not respond directly to any of the claims made by the project’s founders about his motives. However, he did address the comments made by Mark Hamill during the live stream and said that his brain may have been “marinating in Kool-Aid for a long time”.

Chapter 3: X Reinstated the Account Just a Day After

white dudes for harris account suspended on x

Despite Musk’s reluctance to discuss the incident, it appears that the backlash served its purpose as the account was reinstated just a day after.

“WE ARE SO BACK! After a groundswell of grassroots complaints to @ElonMusk from the #WhiteDudesforHarris community, our account was reinstated & we’re allowed to post again. Thank you for coming to our aid & carrying on this conversation in our absence. More to come! ❤️”, the White Dudes for Harris account celebrated.

Nellis expressed his gratitude to the people who raised their voices to fight the suspension and claimed that they were instrumental in “put the pressure on @ElonMusk” and his company to bring @dudesforharris back.

Rather than discouraging the group and its supporters, the suspension prompted followers to donate even more to the cause. Historian Timothy Snyder announced: “Musk suspended the Twitter account of White Dudes for Harris. I don’t think South African billionaires should hinder Americans organizing for democracy. So I am doubling my donation.”

Musk’s Crusade in Favor of ‘Free Speech’ Comes Under Fire

The whole situation prompted X users and others to discuss the role of free speech and the influence that politically biased media owners can have on important narratives and initiatives that affect the United States political landscape.

“So he is a free speech absolutist unless the free speech gets in the way of Trump’s reelection chances,” commented one user on X.

It is worth noting that Musk justified his acquisition of Twitter back in 2022 as a move that would protect free speech in America. Despite this, it was revealed that the platform complies with even more censorship requests from governments than it did before it was purchased by Musk.

The platform’s transparency and ability to deal with these controversial suspensions was also questioned as the press department responded with an automated message saying “Buy now, please check back later,” when they were reached by news outlets to provide comments or clarify the cause of these actions.

Also read: What Would a Kamala Harris Presidency Mean For Crypto?

Controversy and conspiracy theories aside, Nellis mentioned in a more sincere tone that the suspension could have been the result of a group of accounts that coordinated efforts to report @dudesforharris to trigger the platform’s automated moderation systems.

However, he still speculated that Musk himself might have intervened due to his support for Donald Trump in the upcoming election.

X Continues to be Very Influential for Political Campaigns

Nellis mentioned that X continues to be an influential social media platform when it comes to politics and campaigns. He confirmed that the group will continue to raise money for Kamala Harris through this and other platforms.

“It’s undeniable how many movers and shakers are still active on Twitter. It’s still shaping the conversation, no matter how I feel about who owns it. We’re undeterred,” he said during an interview.

The White Dudes for Harris Saga highlights the complex relationship between political campaigns and social media platforms.

As the 2024 US presidential election approaches, incidents like this will likely become more frequent and more scrutinized by the general public and even by regulators. The relationship between social media platforms, political campaigns, and free speech will continue to be a controversial and evolving issue as these networks have the capacity to influence dramatically the public’s perception of candidates and certain divisive topics.