Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk has been facing backlash for a contentious post on his social media platform, X, formerly Twitter, which he later removed. The White House has criticized the post, terming it as “irresponsible.”
What Happened: Over the weekend, Musk stirred controversy by questioning why “no one is even trying” to assassinate President Joe Biden or Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris.
The post was made in the wake of the second assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump.
Many people including White House spokesperson, Andrew Bates, condemned the post, stating that “violence should only be condemned, never encouraged or joked about. This rhetoric is irresponsible,” reported The Hill.
Following the outrage, the Tesla CEO deleted the post and said that it was a joke. He stated, “Turns out that jokes are WAY less funny if people don't know the context and the delivery is plain text.”
In another post he said, “Well, one lesson I've learned is that just because I say something to a group and they laugh doesn't mean it's going to be all that hilarious as a post on X.”
Why It Matters: A man named Ryan Wesley Routh was charged with two federal gun-related offenses in connection with his attempted assassination of Trump.
Following the assassination attempt, Trump confirmed his safety and vowed to “never surrender.” The incident occurred near Trump's Florida property.
Both President Biden and Vice President Harris have expressed relief over Trump’s safety and condemned the act of political violence.
This was the second attempt on the former president’s life ahead of the 2024 election. The previous one took place on July 13, and the former President was left bloodied and had to be evacuated by the Secret Service.
Image via Shutterstock
Read Next:
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
© 2024 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Comments
Trade confidently with insights and alerts from analyst ratings, free reports and breaking news that affects the stocks you care about.
