Tech mogul Elon Musk addressed public backlash on Sunday over his recent post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, in which he appeared to support an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory about Jewish people created by another
“Over the past week there have been hundreds of fake media reports claiming I am anti-Semitic,” Musk posted Sunday afternoon.
“Nothing could be further from the truth,” he continued. “I wish only the best for humanity and a successful and exciting future for everyone.”
The latest wave of media backlash came after Musk responded, “You told the actual truth,” to a post in which he repeated an anti-Semitic conspiracy theory that said Jews want to flood the country with minority groups from elsewhere.
The post said: “I am profoundly disinterested in caring in the slightest now that the Western Jewish population is coming to the disturbing realization that the hordes of minorities supporting the flooding of their country don’t particularly care for them like.”
Musk’s apparent support for this message had immediate consequences, as Disney, Apple and other companies pulled their advertising from the platform.
Several officials rebuked the Jews.” People since the Holocaust.”
While some 2024 Republican presidential candidates, including former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, previously condemned the statement on Sunday shows, others evaded it.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) sparred with CNN’s Jake Tapper on Sunday morning when asked if he condemned the post, initially saying he had not seen the post. As Tapper read the post aloud, DeSantis still refused to condemn him, saying he wanted to see the full context and emphasizing that Musk has long had a target in his sights.
“Well, because I didn’t see it,” DeSantis said on CNN’s “State of the Union” when asked about the post. “I know you tried to read, I have no idea what the context is. I know Elon Musk. I’ve never seen him do anything. I think he’s a guy who believes in America. I’ve never seen him do anything like that. So it’s surprising if that’s true, but I haven’t seen it. That’s why I don’t want to sit there and make a spontaneous judgment.”
Musk denied the allegations of anti-Semitism in his post on Sunday, but gave no further explanation for the post.
Musk has been accused of anti-Semitic rhetoric in the past and has had a strained relationship with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), an organization that combats hate and anti-Semitism. The ADL has been the subject of Musk’s ire, particularly after the ADL released a report documenting the increase in anti-Semitic incidents after he took over the company formerly known as Twitter.
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