Shortly after reports of an apparent second assassination attempt on former US president and 2024 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, Elon Musk decided to speak out.
“And no one is even trying to assassinate Biden/Kamala 🤔,” Musk, the owner of X, said in response to another person’s question, “Why would they want to kill Donald Trump?” In response, he wrote in a now-deleted post.
After deleting a post that could be interpreted as calling for the murder of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, Trump’s Democratic opponent in the U.S. presidential election, Musk said that, given the context, He said he thought it was just a joke. “Well, one of the lessons I learned is that just because I say something to a group and they laugh doesn’t mean it’s going to be all that funny as a post to đť•Ź.” he wrote, adding: It’s not very interesting if people don’t know the context and the delivery is plain text. ”
The incident is the latest in a series of increasingly inflammatory political posts by Musk, who has made potential threats against the sitting commander-in-chief due to substantial defense contracts with the U.S. government. Even while you are there, you may be able to access highly sensitive information. And they point to a more immediate risk posed by Musk’s recent comments: the potential for more political violence.
Although the post from Sunday night is gone, it appears that Musk may well be attracting some attention from federal law enforcement, if he hasn’t already.
The U.S. Secret Service declined WIRED’s request for comment on Musk’s post. “However, I can tell you that the Secret Service investigates all threats related to our protected personnel,” USSS spokesperson Nate Herring told WIRED.
“In my experience, the Secret Service would take such comments very seriously,” said Michael German, a former FBI special agent and fellow at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law. says. “Typically, the agent will go out and interview the subject to ensure that there are no pre-existing threats and to make the subject aware that the agent takes such statements seriously.”
German also noted that the FBI may also open an investigation. However, it is unlikely that Musk will face any charges related to his post. “On its face, this tweet does not meet the ‘true threat’ test in that it is not a direct threat of harm to the vice president, so it is unlikely that prosecution will proceed,” German said. . Even so, “there will be a record of the investigation.”
The FBI declined WIRED’s request for comment on Musk’s post. X did not immediately respond to WIRED’s request for comment.
Messrs. Biden and Harris issued statements condemning President Trump’s apparent attempt on his life and broader political violence. The White House condemned Musk’s post in a statement to ABC News. “Violence should be condemned and should never be encouraged or joked about. This statement is irresponsible,” the statement said.
What makes things more difficult for Musk is his role as a major contractor for the US Department of Defense and NASA. According to Reuters, SpaceX signed a $1.8 billion contract in 2021 with the National Reconnaissance Office, which oversees U.S. reconnaissance satellites. The U.S. Space Force also signed a $70 million contract with SpaceX late last year to build military-grade low-orbit satellite capabilities. Starlink, SpaceX’s commercial satellite internet division, provides connectivity to the U.S. Navy.
