Twitter Blue Checks Dubbed ‘New MAGA Hat’ After Verification Change

Twitter boss Elon Musk has removed “legacy” verification check marks, prompting some to say that accounts paying for verification are now donning a digital “MAGA hat.”

The social media platform on Thursday removed check marks from most accounts that had previously been verified due to being “notable” figures “in government, news, entertainment, or another designated category.” Those remaining were subscribed to Musk’s “Twitter Blue” service, which sells the check marks for $8 or more per month.

Musk has argued that his changes to Twitter reflect a politically neutral and “fair” policy, although he has faced considerable criticism for favoring largely conservative views since purchasing the platform in October.

In response to the changes on Thursday, Twitter users that included previously “notable” figures said that those paying for verification marks were effectively identifying themselves as right-wing ideologues in line with former President Donald Trump and his “MAGA” movement.

The Twitter logo is posted on the exterior of Twitter headquarters on October 28, 2022, in San Francisco, California. The Elon Musk-owned social media platform removed “legacy” verification check marks on Thursday. Justin Sullivan/Getty

“There are a few exceptions, but it seems like the Blue Check you have to pay for now on Twitter is the new MAGA hat,” comedian Dana Goldberg tweeted.

“If you’re still carrying the blue check tomorrow? I dunno, man. Almost MAGA hat territory,” tweeted writer Tom Watson.

“Blue checks on twitter are now officially the new MAGA hat!” podcaster Jesse Dollemore tweeted. “They make identifying the a****** a helluva lot easier!”

“Blue check mark = maga hat,” tweeted screenwriter Randi Mayem Singer.

“A blue check is the digital version of a MAGA hat,” data scientist Steve Haroz tweeted.

“The #BlueCheckMark is gone which means now it’s easier to identify the trolls & maga lunatics,” tweeted transgender activist @plasticmartyr. “No sane person would pay for Twitter blue & give $$ to a greedy billionaire. The verified badge is now the new red MAGA hat. Boycott Twitter Blue Legacy forever.”

“The amazing thing about removing ‘legacy’ blue checks is that in an instant, Twitter users lost the ability to quickly identify interesting people of note and gained the ability to identify idiots paying $8/month to be identified as idiots,” tweeted television writer and producer Bill Prady.

Twitter responded to Newsweek’s request for comment on critiques of the new verification system by sending an email with a “poop” emoji, an automated response that the company has mandated for all press inquiries.

A number of Twitter Blue subscribers who identified themselves as Trump or MAGA supporters celebrated the removal of check marks from accounts belonging to figures like former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and billionaire Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates.

“BREAKING: Hillary Clinton is NO LONGER Verified on Twitter. God Bless!” tweeted Students for Trump founder Ryan Fournier alongside “rolling on the floor laughing” and clapping emojis.

“What rhymes with @HillaryClinton and doesn’t have a checkmark?” @MagaMemeWizard tweeted.

“Thousands of WOKE DEMOCRATS have lost their blue verified checkmark! -Hillary Clinton -Jen Psaki -George Soros -Bill Gates -Don Lemon … The list goes on! -Go Woke, Go Broke & Get NO #BlueTick #TwitterBlue #Verified,” @_Tweets_Truth tweeted.

“I love watching entitled celebrities crying because they lost their blue check mark!” tweeted @Daytobehappy, who has the display handle “Ultra MAGA Joyce Day.”

Notably, Trump’s official Twitter account also lacked any sort of check mark at the time of publication, although the account has remained dormant since being reinstated by Musk last year.

At least one celebrity retained the check mark while claiming that they had not subscribed to Twitter Blue.

“My Twitter account says I’ve subscribed to Twitter Blue,” tweeted author Stephen King. “I haven’t. My Twitter account says I’ve given a phone number. I haven’t.”