Tech billionaire Elon Musk sparked controversy with a now-deleted social media post in which he claimed that “no one is even trying” to assassinate President Joe Biden or Vice-president Kamala Harris. The US Secret Service has confirmed that they are “aware” of the post, but did not provide further details.
Musk, a close ally of former President Donald Trump, made the post on X, formerly known as Twitter, just hours after a suspected attempted assassination of Trump at his golf course in Florida. The post, which was accompanied by a raised eyebrow emoji, drew criticism from many X users who accused Musk of inciting violence against the current US leaders.
The White House condemned Musk’s post, calling it “irresponsible” and stating that “violence should not be condemned, never encouraged or joked about.” The Secret Service, responsible for protecting the President and Vice President, stated that they investigate all threats related to their protectees.
After deleting the post, Musk admitted that the joke did not translate well in written form, saying that “jokes are way less funny if people don’t know the context and the delivery is in plain text.” Musk has been vocal in his support for Trump and has endorsed him following a separate assassination attempt against the former president in July.
The controversial tech mogul has frequently criticized Biden and Harris on social media, further fueling the political divide in the country. The incident has reignited discussions about the role of social media in spreading misinformation and inciting violence, prompting calls for greater accountability from tech leaders like Musk.
