Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has found himself under the watchful eye of the Secret Service following a contentious social media post that raised questions about potential assassination attempts against President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
The Secret Service launched an investigation into Musk’s post, which questioned why there hadn’t been any attempts on the lives of Biden or Harris. While the agency declined to provide specifics about the investigation, citing it as an “enforcement proceeding,” Musk’s post sparked widespread scrutiny.
The controversial tweet stemmed from a user who inquired about why there had been attempts on the life of former President Donald Trump. In response, Musk questioned the lack of similar attempts against Biden and Harris. Although he later removed the post, attributing it to a misunderstood sense of humor, the damage was done.
A Secret Service spokesperson, Melissa McKenzie, confirmed the agency’s awareness of Musk’s post, stating, “The Secret Service is aware of the social media post made by Elon Musk and as a matter of practice, we do not comment on matters involving protective intelligence.” She emphasized that the agency rigorously investigates all threats directed at their protectees.
It’s worth noting that Musk, a known supporter of Trump, has previously acknowledged the former president’s brush with an assassination attempt. He even endorsed Trump after a near-miss shooting incident in July.
The White House, however, strongly condemned Musk’s post, deeming it irresponsible rhetoric that should never be encouraged or joked about. This controversy comes in the wake of a second assassination attempt against Trump.
Musk’s contentious post, made shortly after this incident, triggered a wave of backlash and criticism, including from the White House. Musk attempted to salvage the situation by removing the post, claiming it was a joke that fell flat due to a lack of context. He wrote on X, “Turns out that jokes are WAY less funny if people don’t know the context and the delivery is plain text.”
In another post, Musk admitted that he had learned a valuable lesson: “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.”
The incident highlights the potential repercussions of online posts, especially when they touch on sensitive topics like political figures and national security. It serves as a reminder that even jokes can have unintended consequences, particularly in a world where information spreads rapidly and widely.
