Elon Musk under fire after controversial post amid Trump assassination attempt
17 September 2024 07:27
The richest man in the world, Elon Musk, removed a post from platform X that caused an uproar in the USA. The White House reacted to the post, and the Secret Service communicated to the BBC, stating that it is "aware" of the content posted by the billionaire.
Elon Musk, who owns the X platform, posted a message a few hours after the second attempt on Donald Trump's life. The former U.S. President became the target of an assassination attempt on Sunday at his golf course in Florida.
The suspect was approximately 300 to 500 metres from the former president and had a visual scope. The president's security detail fired 5 to 6 unsuccessful shots in his direction, after which the man fled, leaving his weapon in the bushes and driving away in a black Nissan. Shortly afterwards, he was apprehended in a neighbouring county.
After this incident, Musk, who supports Trump in this year's presidential elections, stated that "no one even tries" to assassinate the sitting U.S. President Joe Biden or Trump's opponent in the election, Vice President Kamala Harris.
The White House described Musk's post as "irresponsible rhetoric." The billionaire quickly removed the post and published a new one, criticizing his audience's lack of humour and emphasizing that his earlier comment was just a joke.
Meanwhile, the White House emphasized that "violence cannot be joked about, supported, or incited." "In this country, there should be no place for violent politics," the statement reads.
Elon Musk removed the post. Secret Service reaction
In response to a BBC inquiry about the matter, the U.S. Secret Service, responsible for protecting the country's most important people, including presidents, stated that it does not comment to the media but concurrently confirmed that it "is aware" of Musk's content and is monitoring the situation.
Musk, owner of companies such as X and SpaceX, after the failed attempt on Trump's life on July 13, declared his support for the Republican candidate in the presidential elections to be held in the U.S. on November 5. Kamala Harris will be Trump's opponent.
