Elon Musk, CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, sparked outrage after questioning why President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris haven’t faced assassination attempts in a now-deleted post on his social media platform, X. The post was made shortly after Donald Trump survived a second assassination attempt while golfing in Florida.
Musk explained his remarks in a message to the Washington Examiner, where he defended his view that Biden and Harris are mere “puppets” of the political system. Musk argued that because they follow the established order without question, they are easily replaceable and not viewed as threats, unlike Trump, who he described as someone who cannot be replaced as easily.
The Secret Service, tasked with protecting Biden, Harris, and Trump, took note of Musk’s post but did not comment on specifics. In a statement, the agency confirmed that it takes all potential threats seriously and investigates accordingly. Musk admitted that the post was ill-advised, saying, “It was dumb,” but indicated he had not been contacted by the Secret Service.
Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), Trump’s running mate, echoed Musk’s sentiments during a recent speech, pointing out that no assassination attempts had been made on Biden or Harris, whereas Trump had survived two attempts in recent months. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre addressed the comments in a press briefing, calling the language “dangerous” and a threat to public safety.
While Musk faced criticism for his comments, he remains a staunch Trump ally, even suggesting that he would consider a role in Trump’s administration should the former president win in 2024.
