Kat Abughazaleh Leaves X, Calls on Candidates to Stop Funding Elon Musk’s Platform

Congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh announced today that she will no longer use X, formerly known as Twitter, citing the platform’s transformation into a tool for right-wing radicalization, misinformation, and surveillance under Elon Musk’s ownership. Abughazaleh also called on other candidates to stop advertising on the platform and paying for verification.

“Since Elon Musk’s acquisition of Twitter, the platform has shifted from a vital source of on-the-ground news into a cesspool of right-wing radicalization and misinformation,” said congressional candidate Kat Abughazaleh.

“Content moderation has been decimated, visibility has been put behind a paywall, and it’s been announced that Grok — an AI which referred to itself as ‘MechaHitler’ — will be the sole arbiter of what content users can see. I do not want to be a part of any of that, and I don’t think anyone running for office should be either.”

Abughazaleh, who previously relied on Twitter as a journalist and researcher, said the platform is no longer essential for campaigns or public communication.

Kat Abughazaleh Congress 9th Illinois District

“For years, many of us — governments, journalists, and the public — have considered Twitter a necessity for communication, the standard for social media. That is no longer the reality and it’s time to act like it. Engagement is bot-driven, external links are suppressed, and dangerous lies are boosted by white national accounts, including @DHS and @ICE. Meanwhile, candidates are expected to pay into a system that enriches one billionaire while harming public discourse.”

Abugazhaleh noted that her campaign has avoided advertising on X and refused to purchase a paid verification badge, yet continues to lead the field in grassroots fundraising.

“My campaign is proof that candidates do not need to participate in this ecosystem to reach voters or raise money,” Abughazaleh said. “Staying on this platform still enriches Elon Musk indirectly, and I believe in aligning my actions with my values.”

Abughazaleh encouraged other candidates, including her opponents, to follow suit.

“To anyone running for office: Stop paying for a checkmark, stop advertising on X, and stop enriching a platform that rewards extremism. Inaction is complicity. They need us. We do not need them.”

Voters and journalists can continue to follow Kat Abughazaleh’s campaign on Bluesky, Threads, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Twitch, and at KatForIllinois.com.

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Ray Hanania is an award-winning opinion columnist, author & former Chicago City Hall reporter (1977-1992). A veteran who served during the Vietnam War and the recipient of four SPJ Peter Lisagor Awards for column writing, Hanania writes weekly opinion columns on mainstream American & Chicagoland topics for the Southwest News-Herald, Des Plaines Valley News, the Regional News, The Reporter Newspapers, and Suburban Chicagoland.

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