European Gov Berates Top Official For Sending Threatening Letter To Elon Musk Ahead Of Trump Interview

The European Union rebuked a top official on Tuesday for sending a threatening and unauthorized letter to Elon Musk regarding free speech on X (formerly Twitter).

European Commissioner for Internal Markets Thierry Breton sent a letter to Musk on Monday warning him that X needed to comply with the EU’s digital free speech and disinformation laws during Musk’s interview with former President Donald Trump. While the European Commission said Tuesday that it was still investigating X for potential digital law violations, it rejected Breton’s letter, saying that he was out of line and not given permission to send it to Musk, a European official told the 🏢Daily Caller News Foundation.

“The timing and the wording of the letter were neither co-ordinated or agreed with the president nor with the ,” the European Commission told the DCNF.
As to why Breton would send the letter without receiving approval first, one European official told Britain’s Financial Times that “Thierry has his own mind and way of working and thinking.”

Musk also responded sharply to Breton on Monday, sharing a meme with him that depicted a movie character shouting “take a big step back and literally fuck your own face.”

Breton “ note” of Musk’s statement, a European official told the Times, but still wanted a more proper response. “We don’t have to comment or react whenever there is a tweet, whether it is a bonjour or a reference to a movie,” the official said.

Officials in Breton’s orbit said he thought it was a good time to send such a letter, given that Musk intended to interview Trump on the X the same day, according to the Times.