Source: Matt Cardy / Getty
One of Elon Musk‘s social media posts reacting to the latest would-be attempt on Donald Trump’s life seemingly encouraged assassination attempts against President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, underscoring the heightened role that violence has been playing in politics in recent years.
The richest man in the world on Sunday took to X, the social media platform he owns that was formerly known as Twitter, and appeared to let the world know how he really feels following the U.S. Secret Service apparently thwarting a would-be assassin allegedly armed with an assault rifle hundreds of yards away from Trump’s golf club in Florida, where Trump was golfing.
MORE: ‘Is He Dead?’ Why Black People Are Not Grieving The Failed Assassination Of Donald Trump
The suspect was later identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, a white man whose past social media activity suggests he once supported Trump, who was also the subject of a failed assassination in July.
But instead of vilifying Routh, Musk responded to a post on X that asked why Trump was the target of yet another assassination attempt.
“And no one is even trying to assassinate Biden/Kamala,” Musk wrote in a post punctuated by a “thinking face” emoji that is typically used to highlight a deep thought.
The blowback was swift as X users made the post go viral and accused Musk of inciting political violence against Biden and Harris.
Some users on X even called for federal authorities to investigate Musk for the language used in the social media post.
Musk later deleted the post and suggested he was simply trying to be humorous about the morbid topic of a political assassination.
“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,” Musk posted early Monday morning in a clear response to the growing backlash.
Likely still feeling the heat from critics accusing him of calling for the assassination attempts against Biden and Harrtis, Musk doubled down on his dubious claim that he was just innocently kidding around.
“Turns out that jokes are WAY less funny if people don’t know the context and the delivery is plain text,” Musk added in a subsequent post.
But the damage was done.
“Elon Musk is now openly encouraging assassination attempts on the sitting President and Vice President,” one X user posted. “RETWEET if you think he should be investigated by the Secret Service!”
Actor Dash Dobrofsky called on the U.S. Secret Service to intervene immediately.
“In a sane and just world, Elon Musk would be paid a visit by the feds & interrogated as to why he bought a social media platform to complain about how there haven’t been any assassination attempts made against VP Kamala Harris & President Joe Biden,” Dobrofsky posted. “@SecretService where you at?”
A steady stream of similar sentiments followed.
“I have real concerns for Kamala’s safety,” one X user posted. “All these fake assassination attempts could be a prelude to a real one on Kamala. The world’s richest man, Elon Musk, is already asking why no one is trying to assassinate Kamala. This seems like less of a question and more like a suggestion. Elon’s followers are just as nutty as Trump followers and his words are dangerous. Kamala needs bullet proof glass and perhaps even more Secret Service.”
Political violence has seemingly been the rule and not the exception since Jan. 6, 2021, when an army of Trump supporters illegally broke into the U.S. Capitol in a failed attempt to prevent the certification of Biden’s election motivated by the debunked conspiracy theory that Trump was the victim of election fraud; a conspiracy theory that Trump maintains nearly four years later.
Earlier this month, Philip Anderson — a Black man from Texas who was shown storming the U.S. Capitol as part of the so-called “Stop the Steal” rally in which Trump encouraged his supporters to participate in the ensuing political violence — threatened even more political violence if Trump is imprisoned for his felony conviction after being found guilty of paying hush money to a porn star via illegal means for political purposes. Like Musk, Anderson used social media as a vehicle to amplify his calls.
And in July — notably, one week before a suspect shot an assault rifle and reportedly grazed Trump’s ear on July 13 at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, — North Carolina’s lieutenant governor and GOP gubernatorial candidate, Mark Robinson, said from a church pulpit that “some folks need killing” in reference to alleged violent criminals who haven’t yet been granted due process and “liberals” who are simply of a different ideology.
In June, California Congresswoman Maxine Waters wondered whether Trump used his aforementioned guilty verdict as a way to incite violence from his rabid followers who have shown their willingness to literally fight on his behalf.
Reacting to Trump releasing a statement claiming he is “an innocent man” who is “fighting for our Constitution,” Waters suggested those words were essentially a call to arms for Trump’s MAGA base of blindly faithful followers.
“I am going to spend some time with the criminal justice system, with the justice system asking them ‘tell us what’s going on with the domestic terrorists,’” Waters said during an appearance on MSNBC. “Are they preparing a civil war against us? Should we be concerned about our safety? What is he doing with this divisive language?”
Waters continued by asking: “How far is this going to go? Are they going to be attacking? Whom are they going to attack? What are we going to do? We’re trying to get an investigation going about that.”
Waters said Trump’s rhetoric can’t be ignored.
“It is dangerous and we are going to have to be sure that we understand that we’re now at risk with this man talking in this way that he is doing,” Waters added.
This is America.
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