Elon Musk announced on May 12 that Linda Yaccarino, previously an advertising executive at NBCUniversal, will be taking over as Twitter CEO. Hiring Yaccarino, with her extensive background as an advertising executive, may be an attempt by Musk to encourage advertisers to return to the platform after many fled following the rise in hate speech, misinformation, and graphic content that skyrocketed after Musk’s takeover.

While still at NBCUniversal, Yaccarino gave Musk a platform to allay concerns about harmful content, provided him access to major companies, and repeatedly interacted with his content on Twitter. In addition, Yaccarino has engaged with Republican political leaders and candidates, conservative media figures, and some of the most inflammatory right-wing accounts on the platform that are known to push anti-LGBTQ hate, COVID-19 misinformation, and election denial.

On Twitter, Yaccarino follows right-wing politicians and has repeatedly liked content from their accounts

Yaccarino follows a plethora of prominent GOP figures, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Reps. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) and Jim Jordan (R-OH), and Sens. Rand Paul (R-KY), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), and Tim Scott (R-SC), while following only a small number of Democrats, such as New York City Mayor Eric Adams and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-NY). Additionally, Yaccarino has liked tweets containing right-wing criticisms of the Biden administration as well as content from right-wing politicians, including:

• Former Georgia Republican Senate nominee Herschel Walker, who campaigned on an anti-trans platform, and who she also follows.

• Larry Elder, conservative radio host and failed candidate for California governor, who Yaccarino also follows. (Yaccarino also showed support on Twitter for both Elder and Walker’s campaigns.)

• Election denier Mike Pompeo, who was a member of former President Donald Trump's cabinet, and who Yaccarino also follows.

• Promoter of the QAnon conspiracy theory, far-right former Texas politician, and current host at Americano Media Mayra Flores.

• Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC).

• Peter Thiel-backed Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH).

• Nikki Haley, current presidential candidate, former South Carolina governor, and former ambassador to the United Nations during the Trump administration, who Yaccarino also follows.

• Right-wing presidential candidate and climate denier Vivek Ramaswamy, who is also followed by Yaccarino.

Yaccarino also follows a wide array of right-wing media personalities on Twitter

Yaccarino also follows many right-wing media figures, including prominent Fox News personalities Jesse Watters, Kayleigh McEnany, Maria Bartiromo, Mark Levin, Martha MacCallum, Greg Gutfeld, Laura Ingraham, Sean Hannity, and Tucker Carlson (who is supposedly moving his show to Twitter after being fired from Fox), as well as network contributors Karol Markowicz, Tomi Lahren, and Caitlyn Jenner. In addition to Fox personalities, she follows a number of right-wing social media influencers and podcasters, such as Robby Starbuck, Harlan Hill, Seb Gorka, and James Woods.

Notably, she has liked tweets with political content from these personalities, including:

• Fox Nation host Piers Morgan, who equated protests over the decision to overturn Roe v. Wade to “a form of terrorism,” is also followed by Yaccarino.

• Chad Prather, who hosts a show on Glenn Beck’s BlazeTV network.

• Yaccarino also follows “Pizzagate” conspiracy theory promoter and white supremacist affiliate Jack Posobiec. 

• Yaccarino follows the Twitter account of right-wing satire site The Babylon Bee, which had previously been suspended from Twitter for intentionally misgendering U.S. Assistant Secretary for Health Rachel Levine, and Yaccarino liked Musk's reply to a tweet from the account alluding to conspiracy theories about Jefferey Epstein.

• Former Fox host Megyn Kelly, who frequently platformed hate groups and racist rhetoric on her show, is also followed by Yaccarino.

• Evangelical leader and Trump fan Franklin Graham.

• The Daily Wire’s Ben Shapiro, who has repeatedly pushed bigoted rhetoric online, is also followed by Yaccarino.

• Conservative commentator Dave Rubin, who has used his Rumble livestream to demonize immigrants and promote the use of an anti-LGBTQ slur.

Yaccarino follows a number of right-wing Twitter accounts that are known to push anti-LGBTQ hate, COVID-19 misinformation, and election conspiracy theories

Beyond right-wing media figures and politicians, Yaccarino follows a plethora of right-wing conspiracy theorists, social media trolls, bigoted podcasters, and live-streamers. Several of the accounts she follows also have a presence on the right-wing streaming platform Rumble, while others have pushed anti-democratic falsehoods about the 2020 presidential election. Here are some of the other right-wing figures Yaccarino follows on Twitter:

• Anti-LGBTQ account “Libs of TikTok” and account owner Chaya Raichik, who has repeatedly singled out trans individuals and gender-affirming care centers for violence and harassment.  
• Russell Brand, who has repeatedly used the far-right video streaming platform Rumble to push wild conspiracy theories and host right-wing figures. 
• Author J.K. Rowling, who has repeatedly taken to Twitter to attack trans individuals and gender-affirming care.
• Trump's former lawyers Rudy Giuliani, Sidney Powell, and Lin Wood, who were instrumental in orchestrating and selling Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election.
• Podcaster and prolific misinformer Joe Rogan, who has repeatedly attacked the LGBTQ community, spread baseless falsehoods about the January 6 insurrection and pushed other wild conspiracy theories and false claims. 
• Right-wing social media trolls Ian Miles Cheong, who has defended January 6 insurrectionists and compared the Capitol riot to Black Lives Matter protests, and Catturd, who has repeatedly pushed climate misinformation.
• Election denier Dinesh D’Souza, who has falsely purported to uncover widespread fraud in the 2020 election and has come to the defense of white nationalist militias. 
• Candace Owens, who is a host for the right-wing outlet The Daily Wire and has repeatedly attacked LGBTQ individuals and pushed racist talking points.