Replit doesn't have special mod powers but a HN moderator downweighted this subthread, the same way we do any generic/indignant/offtopic subthread when we see it. That's standard HN moderation.

In this case we did so less than we normally would because we moderate HN less when the topic is a YC co - see https://hn.algolia.com/?dateRange=all&page=0&prefix=false&qu... for lots of past explanation.