May 02, 2022

On the Agenda: Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter caused a freakout among the “open-minded” and “tolerant” left, especially when he touted free speech. Meanwhile, YouTube banned a video featuring Heritage election expert Hans von Spakovsky … then reversed its decision after The Daily Signal’s exposé. Also, the latest economic numbers provide yet more evidence of the damage President Joe Biden’s policies are doing. There’s much more to check out in this week’s Agenda.

Elon Musk Channels Heritage on Free Speech and Big Tech

Freakout: The left is apoplectic about Elon Musk buying Twitter and taking it private. Why?

What Musk has said: “Twitter serves as the de facto public town square.” “Free speech is essential to a functioning democracy.” “Making the algorithms open-source [will] increase trust.”

What we said: If those words sound familiar, it’s because those are the same points we made in our recent report—"Combating Big Tech’s Totalitarianism: A Road Map."

Our take: “Conservatives and those who value the First Amendment are watching with joy as the left experiences a collective meltdown at the prospect of losing power,” says Heritage President Kevin Roberts. Read the rest of his statement here.

Bidenomics Is in Full Swing

The R-word: Shortages, rising inflation, and now this—an “unexpected” 1.4 percent drop in GDP in the first quarter. Is this the start of a recession? And who is to blame?

The cause: “The current economic malaise is a direct result of the Biden administration’s fiscal and regulatory policies, as well as monetary mismanagement by the Federal Reserve,” writes Heritage research fellow EJ Antoni.

Our solution: End the administration’s reckless spending spree, stop the war on domestic energy, and repeal regulations choking our businesses. Learn more here.

YouTube Censors Heritage’s Election Expert

Back at it again: YouTube banned a video of “The Jacob Kersey Program” podcast featuring Heritage senior legal fellow Hans von Spakovsky for allegedly violating its “misinformation” policy regarding the 2020 presidential election.

The truth: Kersey and von Spakovsky spent the episode discussing election integrity, including actual examples of fraud in American elections.

Reversal: Following reporting by The Daily Signal, YouTube quietly restored the video—another win in Heritage’s battle with Big Tech. 

Our take: “The fact that unelected Big Tech arbiters are deciding what Americans can and can’t see is a huge problem,” writes Douglas Blair, news producer and podcast host for The Daily Signal. Read his full commentary here.

NEW RESEARCH AND COMMENTARY

• Ozzy Osbourne Is Checking Out of Hotel California. Why? Taxes. 
• It Is Time for Mayorkas to Go 
• Unleashing Its Market Is Way America Beats China 
• Send Ukraine Cyber Help, Not Bureaucratic Gridlock 
• Parents Are Going on Offensive to Fight Indoctrination in Education 

IMPACT

Trump’ Heritage appearance goes viral. President Trump’s speech at the Annual Leadership Conference held in Florida last month has more than half a million views on YouTube and nearly 1.8 million views across all online platforms. Watch it here.

Heritage’s Truluck Center trains new school board members. More than 600 signed up for engaging sessions that provide practical information for school board members, help them navigate day-to-day challenges, be effective stewards of taxpayer resources, and work in partnership with parents. “There is clearly a thirst for this information,” says Lindsey Burke, director of Heritage’s Center for Education Policy. You can learn more here.

We’re No. 1 on social media. A Forbes ranking of free-market think tanks based on social media impact shows Heritage with the biggest following on every social media platform but one.

DID YOU KNOW?

Heritage has almost 632,000 followers on Twitter, and our feed is constantly updated with news, data, and commentary on all the big issues of the day. Are you one of them?

Big Tech Censorship: How Does the First Amendment Apply to the Internet? Thursday, May 5 at 1 p.m.

Is Big Tech going too far? Is it moderating content or suppressing free speech? Co-hosted by The Daily Caller News Foundation, The Arthur Rupe Foundation, and The Karpus Family Foundation. The debate will feature: 

• Josh Hammer, Newsweek opinion editor and syndicated columnist
• Niam Yaraghi, senior fellow, Center for Technology Innovation, Brookings Institution

Register here.

Rogue Prosecutor Symposium, Friday, May 6 at 10 a.m.

A look at the damage rogue “progressive” prosecutors have caused and ways to combat them. Speakers include: 

• Andrew Lelling, former United States attorney for the District of Massachusetts
• Erin Nealy Cox, former United States attorney for the Northern District of Texas
• Richard Donoghue, former United States attorney for the Eastern District of New York
• Rafael Mangual, senior fellow, head of research, policing & public safety, and contributing editor of the City Journal 
• Kathleen Cady, former deputy district attorney, Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office 

Register here.

The National Guard’s State Partnership Program and Its Role in the National Defense Strategy, Monday, May 9 at 2 p.m. 

Gen. Daniel Hokanson, chief of the National Guard Bureau, and retired Lt. Gen. Thomas Spoehr, director of Heritage’s Center for National Defense, discuss the National Guard’s State Partnership Program and how it can contribute to America’s security.

Register here.

“The Kevin Roberts Show”: On the latest episode, Heritage President Kevin Roberts talks about critical race theory with Chris Rufo, an investigative reporter who has worked tirelessly to uncover how this noxious ideology is creeping into education, the corporate world, and beyond. Listen to the episode.

“Heritage Explains”: This week, Joel Thayer, president of the Digital Progress Institute, discusses what Elon Musk's purchase of Twitter means for the left and their control over Big Tech. Listen to the episode.

Heritage President Kevin Roberts was on Fox News talking about Elon Musk’s buyout of Twitter. “This is a great win for restoring free speech to the town square,” he said. You can watch the clip here.

Follow The Heritage Foundation and The Daily Signal on Instagram.

Email us your thoughts and questions at [email protected].