Did X’s CEO Resign Because She Couldn’t Keep Musk in Check?

WHAT HAPPENED: Linda Yaccarino announced her resignation as CEO of X (formerly Twitter), following controversies involving the platform’s AI assistant, Grok. Some—including former Trump White House Chief Strategist and WarRoom host Stephen K. Bannon—speculate that Yaccarino’s exit was precipitated by her inability to keep the social media platform’s owner, Elon Musk, in check.

WHO WAS INVOLVED: Linda Yaccarino, Elon Musk, Stephen K. Bannon, and, indirectly, President Donald J. Trump.

WHEN & WHERE: Yaccarino announced her resignation on Wednesday, after serving two years as CEO of X.

KEY QUOTE: “After two incredible years, I’ve decided to step down as CEO of X.” – Linda Yaccarino

IMPACT: Yaccarino’s departure fuels speculation about internal issues at X and coincides with tensions between Elon Musk and President Donald Trump.

Elon Musk reacted briefly on Wednesday to Linda Yaccarino‘s resignation as CEO of his X platform (formerly Twitter), after two years in the role, brusquely responding to her announcement: “Thank you for your contributions.” The terse reply from Musk is fueling speculation that Yaccarino’s departure was driven by deeper issues than those with X’s AI assistant, Grok, which recently drew backlash for praising Adolf Hitler, among other inappropriate behaviors.

Yaccarino took to X to share her decision, writing, “After two incredible years, I’ve decided to step down as CEO of X. When [Elon Musk] and I first spoke of his vision for X, I knew it would be the opportunity of a lifetime to carry out the extraordinary mission of this company. I’m immensely grateful to him for entrusting me with the responsibility of protecting free speech, turning the company around, and transforming X into the Everything App.” Musk acquired the social media platform—then known as Twitter—in 2022 for $44 billion.

The exchange between Musk and Yaccarino is driving speculation that the latter’s exit was more driven by her inability to assert control over the billionaire technology mogul, especially regarding his ongoing political spat with President Donald J. Trump. For instance, former White House Chief Strategist Stephen K. Bannon, referring to Musk as “Elmo,” contended that Yaccarino’s resignation was entirely because of Musk’s antics.

“We understand why you are stepping down and why you’re running. That Elmo’s out of control. Sorry, baby, that came with the job. You took the job, you took the pay, you took the warrants, you took the stock options, you took all the hundreds of millions of dollars you’re going to make,” Bannon argued.

“No, if you can’t keep Elmo in the nursery and keep him under control, you’re gonna pay a price. You are gonna pay the price. It doesn’t matter that you’re resigning today, baby. The whole scam over there, the whole complete scam of Elmo is going to be taken apart brick by brick, OK?”

BANNON: Linda Yaccarino is stepping down as CEO of X.

Sorry, but resigning won’t hide you from the lawsuits.

You couldn’t keep “Elmo the Mook” in his nursery, and you’ll have to face the consequences. pic.twitter.com/25txVrqZPV

— Bannon’s WarRoom (@Bannons_WarRoom) July 9, 2025

Image by Gage Skidmore.

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