Elon Musk faces criticism for deleted post on Biden and Harris assassination
Elon Musk, CEO of X (formerly Twitter), came under fire after posting a controversial comment on social media suggesting that “no one is even trying” to assassinate President Joe Biden or Vice President Kamala Harris. The post, accompanied by a raised eyebrow emoji, was quickly deleted by Musk, who later clarified that it was intended as a joke.
Musk’s comment followed an attempted assassination of former President Donald Trump at his Florida golf course on Sunday.
Musk, a close ally of Trump, has been publicly supportive of the former president, who has indicated plans to involve Musk in a potential second-term administration.
The post sparked backlash from X users, with many accusing Musk of inciting violence against the current US leaders.
The White House issued a statement condemning Musk’s comments, calling them “irresponsible” and emphasizing that violence should never be encouraged or trivialized. “There should be no place for political violence, ever,” the statement added.
The US Secret Service acknowledged being aware of Musk’s post but declined to comment further, noting that it investigates all threats related to its protectees. “We do not comment on matters involving protective intelligence,” the agency said.
In a follow-up post, Musk expressed regret, saying the joke did not translate well in text form and noting that humor often fails without context.
Despite the deletion, the post has fuelled ongoing criticism of Musk’s public support for Trump and his frequent jabs at Biden and Harris.
