Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and owner of X (formerly Twitter), has once again stirred controversy with his recent comments about Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden. In an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson, Musk revisited his earlier social media post questioning why there have been no assassination attempts on the current administration's leaders.
The interview, published on October 7, 2024, featured Musk explaining his deleted social media post from approximately a month ago. He described it as a joke, stating, "I made a joke, which I realized — I deleted — which is like, Nobody's even bothering to try to kill Kamala because it's pointless. What do you achieve?"
Musk's comments come in the context of recent assassination attempts on former President Donald Trump. The Tesla CEO suggested that Harris would be replaced with "another puppet" if she were killed, adding, "Nobody's tried to kill Joe Biden. It'd be pointless."
These remarks have drawn significant criticism, with the White House condemning them as "irresponsible" rhetoric. The Secret Service, established in 1865 and tasked with protecting presidents since 1901, acknowledged awareness of Musk's initial post but has not commented on his latest statements.
Despite Musk's questioning, authorities have made arrests for death threats against both Harris and Biden. In August 2024, a Virginia man was charged with making violent threats against Harris in online forums. Federal prosecutors reported that the same individual had made thousands of posts targeting Biden and other public officials.
Musk, who has over 200 million followers on X, initially resisted deleting his controversial post but eventually did so, acknowledging that jokes can be misinterpreted when presented as plain text without context.
The controversy surrounding Musk's comments has overshadowed his increasing involvement in the 2024 presidential campaign. He has publicly endorsed Trump and spoken at a recent rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, a town of about 13,000 people. Musk is also supporting a super PAC spending millions to boost Trump's voter turnout.
It's worth noting that Kamala Harris, who became the first female Vice President in 2021, and Joe Biden, the oldest person to assume the presidency at 78, have faced numerous challenges during their tenure. Harris previously served as Attorney General of California from 2011 to 2017, while Biden was Vice President under Barack Obama from 2009 to 2017.
As the November 5, 2024, presidential election approaches, the political landscape continues to be shaped by controversial statements and actions from high-profile figures like Musk. The Tesla CEO, who co-founded PayPal in 1999 and became Tesla's CEO in 2008, has increasingly used his platform to influence political discourse.
"I'm all in on Trump."
This ongoing situation highlights the complex intersection of technology, politics, and media in the modern era. As the owner of X, a platform with approximately 396.5 million active users worldwide as of 2024, Musk's words carry significant weight and potential consequences.
The controversy also underscores the ongoing challenges faced by the Secret Service, which has been part of the Department of Homeland Security since 2003, in protecting high-ranking officials in an age of instant communication and widespread social media influence.
As the political climate continues to evolve, the impact of such statements on public discourse and the upcoming election remains to be seen. The situation serves as a reminder of the power and responsibility that come with influential platforms in today's interconnected world.