Triggered IDW figure Sam Harris releases 2.5 hour podcast about why he left Elon Musk’s Twitter

"I've heard that many people are interpreting my leaving Twitter as an act of protest over what Elon is doing to the platform. In particular, his reinstating of Trump," he began. "It really wasn't that."

He says that he felt like Twitter got noticeably worse, at least for him, and that Musk made some bad decisions "right out of the gate."

"He might make Twitter better for many people," he said, "and he might make it a viable business. He certainly has the resources to keep up with it."

"One of the most productive people of my generation was needlessly disrupting his own life and damaging his reputation by his addiction to Twitter," Harris lamented, as he described what he feels is an unhealthy relationship that Musk has with Twitter. "He's now goofing around in front of 120 million people."

"There is something quite reckless and socially irresponsible about how Elon behaves on Twitter. Millions of people appear to love it," he added.

On the topic of free speech, Harris attempted to explain how his opinions on it are perceived as unclear and that people think that he "used to support free speech unconditionally" but now doesn't because he has "Trump Derangement Syndrome."

"I've always acknowledged that there's an interesting debate to be had about the role that social media plays in our society," he said, "but the fact is, no one has a constitutional right to be on Twitter."

Twitter has always been a private company, and "Elon can do whatever he wants with it," Harris says. However, its ubiquity in society and politics has led to governments attempting to control what can and cannot be said on the social media platform, and even to use the platform to help fulfill political desires.

Musk confirmed on Wednesday that Twitter has interfered with elections.

"I understand and fully support the political primacy of free speech in America," Harris proclaimed. "There shouldn't be laws against holocaust denial or the expression of any other idiotic idea, and the first amendment protects this kind of speech."

"But there also shouldn't be a law, in my view, that prevents a digital platform from having a 'no nazis' policy in its terms of service," he added, stating that instead, "these platforms need effective moderation and standards of civility to function," which he believes will be lacking under Musk.