Lleuwen leaves X following Trump’s election win
Stephen Price
Celebrated singer songwriter Lleuwen Steffan has left X, formerly known as Twitter, describing it as a ‘billboard for misogyny, hate and anti-immigration lies’.
Lleuwen’s decision to leave the platform came shortly after the announcement of Donald Trump’s sweeping US election win, following a campaign that was heavily supported by Elon Musk, the owner of X.
In her final X post, shared on 7 November, she wrote: “Ta-ta Twitter,” accompanied by a waving hand emoji and a photo of a handwritten message which gave greater insight into her decision-making process.
In the trilingual hand written note, which was composed in Welsh, English and Breton, reflecting Lleuwen’s Welsh heritage and her current home of Brittany, she wrote: “Mae’r cyfrwn hwn yr un mor afiach a’r sawl sydd yn ei reoli o ‘ma! (Cymraeg for ‘This medium is just as unhealthy as the person who controls him from here!’)
“Musk ’n’ Trump are not my jam. See Linktree in bio for other ways to contact me.”
She then signed out with a goodbye in Breton.
“Enough is enough”
Lleuwen told Nation.Cymru: “Why would I stay on X knowing that it has clearly been a platform advocating for the election of Trump?
“It has served as Elon Musk’s billboard for misogyny, hate and anti-immigration lies and 200 million people follow him on X.”
Lleuwen continued: “Even if you don’t follow Musk on X, one cannot escape his politics there – he spent millions of dollars on the Trump campaign and gained billions more on election day, exceeding his net worth by 10% in one single day!
“X was his number one tool in this campaign and so no, I don’t want to be a part of this white supremacist platform.
“Enough is enough.”
Ta-ta Twitter
👋 pic.twitter.com/mPeU9YRAoK— Lleuwen (@Lleuwen) November 7, 2024
X Boycott
Lleuwen is not alone in her decision to leave X, with many leaving shortly after Elon Musk’s controversial acquisition of the platform back in April 2022.
Reactions to the buyout were mixed, with praise for Musk’s planned reforms and vision for the company, particularly his calls for greater freedom of speech, but criticism over fears of a potential rise in misinformation and disinformation, harassment, and hate speech.
Musk’s changes have allegedly helped contribute to the following impacts:
- Use of the n-word tripling.
- Slurs against gay men rising by 58%.
- Slurs against trans people rising by 62%.
- Anti-Semitic tweets doubling.
- Accounts that consistently publish popular tweets containing links to misinformation receive 44% more interactions.
Within the United States, conservatives have largely supported the acquisition, while many liberals and former X employees have voiced concerns about Musk’s intentions.
Since becoming owner, Musk has faced backlash for his handling of the company and account suspensions, including the December 2022 suspensions of ten journalists.
Trump
Musk threw his public support behind Trump almost immediately after the assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania in July.
Musk is the world’s richest man, and spent election night with Trump at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.
He shared his delight at the win on X, saying: “The people of America gave @realDonaldTrump a crystal clear mandate for change tonight.”
Trump also singled out Mr Musk in his victory speech, spending several minutes praising his rocket firm, Space X.
Mr Musk’s association with the president-elect also boosted the share price of his electric car maker Tesla – and, with it, his net worth, which now stands at an estimated $290bn.
With Lleuwen’s tour coming to an end this month, her focus is firmly back on her music, and the continuation of her evolving Tafod Arian project which has been a critical success, described as ‘of national importance’.
Read our most recent conversation with Lleuwen here, or an early response to her groundbreaking chapel tour.
Connect with Lleuwen on other platforms through her Linktree.
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Everyone with a conscience really needs to leave the site where the owner has supported trump to this level and has removed safety from twitter, including press orgs, reporters, small national news outlets etc. Musk has let a lot of white supremacy back, on, removed safety for people that get abused etc. Are you happy to be on such a platform that allows abuse and hate openly? While you are at it, amazon is also worth avoiding. Bezos stumped up for trump after a meeting with the orange one by spiking the endorsement of harris with the news paper he… Read more »
Why did she take so long. Trump’s win add’s very little too the issues Musk has created, by making a cesspit for hate speach. The moment he started to unban some absolute vile people, it was clear his thinking.
I just got bored with Twitter just over 2 years ago, and stopped using it, and the changes that have come in under Musk’s ownership have meant I have never gone back. The election of Trump does reveal some of the particular problems that Musk has introduced. One of the things that he did, was make a special tweak to the algorithm to magnify the reach of his own tweets (or X’s as he would say) and no doubt Elon has done this for people he favours as well. He stole the @america handle off a user for his own… Read more »
This will have no impact on X.
the deluded owner had tried to take advertisers to court for bailing. And then the recent release of papers in a court case with former employees shows how much Russian money was used. So, who owns musk.
It has already impacted twitter but it will take time to kill it off.
I thought it was Saudi investors that helped Elon Musk buy Twitter.
The oligarchs featured in this last one case but I t did not have the saudi info to hand to confirm. Interesting ties with the saudi loot as well back through 45/47 businesses and timings and interactions with the lessor trumps.
Not true, they might even welcome it!
What took her so long?
Musk is such a deeply unpleasant man, I closed my account soon after he acquired the company and found another social media platform where people are more respectful and which is not a vehicle for right wing hate and propaganda.
Llongyfarchiadau I Lleuwen for making a stand that is being replicated by many. If enough people do this, it will have an effect when you consider that multi quadrillionaires hate losing one Penny or one Cent as that could turn into millions of pounds, dollars, euros. James O’Brien on LBC mentioned ‘Bluesky’ and there will be others. Whilst mourning the loss of Twitter, we must construct a global culture which condemns ‘X’ to the widespread belief that it is only used for hatred and bigotry. ‘X’ = hatred and bigotry. That’s all it will be for. Musky will soon fall… Read more »
The Led by Donkeys video about Elon Musk is worth watching: <a href=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iX3vMJOADlE”>TESLA = TRUMP</a>
I’ve been trying to deactivate my twitter account since Friday. It won’t allow me! Keeps saying “error try again later” a few others I’ve heard are having the same issue? Strange? Remember, you have to deactivate your account.
Keep trying but it sounds sinister. As The Eagles once said ‘You can check out but you can never leave’.
Eagles ? – Another bunch of multi millionaire “influencers” from USA. Broke up back about 1980 but kept regrouping cos they had serious habits that needed funding. They couldn’t check out either.