Nunes denies Trump, Musk discussed Twitter purchase: 'Fake News Friday'
Ex-congressman says Trump likes Musk and hoped for the purchase, but never discussed it directly.
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Trump Media & Technology Group CEO and former Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., told Fox News that the assertion Elon Musk discussed his purchase of Twitter with Donald Trump is "fake news."
Nunes joined "The Story" after Musk responded to a FOX Business interview in which the former congressman said Trump "encouraged" Musk to purchase the platform.
Musk called allegations of direct or indirect dialogue between the two moguls "false." Nunes later told Fox News on "The Story" that the incoming Twitter executive is correct.
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Host Martha MacCallum asked if Nunes was instead speaking in general terms about what had been said publicly.
"Yes. Very, very public – and in numerous interviews," Nunes replied. "So I'm not sure how you go from 0 to 100 that somehow you take public statements that we clearly said -- and you quickly move that into some realm of [us] having secret talks."
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"There's nothing like a Friday being Fake News Friday," he added, recounting Russia investigation news dumps happening right before permanent Washington went home for the weekend.
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"We have publicly said -- both President Trump and myself -- our goal with [our] company is quite clear… We want to open the internet back up to give the American people and people around the world their voice back."
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Nunes added that Trump had made it clear prior to the Twitter sale that he is a fan of Musk, and that he personally hoped the Tesla CEO would purchase it.
"I hope they don't take these words out of context. But we would like it if he would buy ‘Fakebook’ and Instagram and most importantly, probably, Chinese-owned TikTok."
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"There's a lot more things he could buy, and we'd be a hell of a lot better off with Elon Musk owning them than the tech tyrants that own them now."