White House Condemns Elon Musk`s `Irresponsible` Post Targeting Biden and Harris

The U.S. Secret Service has acknowledged it is "aware" of a social media post by Elon Musk, in which the tech mogul commented that "no one is even trying" to assassinate President Joe Biden or Vice President Kamala Harris. Musk later deleted the post, which he claimed was meant as a joke. The post, made on X (formerly Twitter), was shared just hours after an alleged assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at his Florida golf course. Musk, a known supporter of Trump, has been criticized for the remark, with some X users accusing him of inciting violence against Biden and Harris. The post included a raised eyebrow emoji, further fueling criticism.

In response, the White House condemned Musk’s comment, calling it "irresponsible" rhetoric. "Violence should only be condemned, never encouraged or joked about," the White House said in a statement, emphasizing that there is no place for political violence in the United States. When asked about the post, the Secret Service stated that it does not comment on matters involving protective intelligence but confirmed it is aware of the incident. "We can say, however, that the Secret Service investigates all threats related to our protectees," the agency added.

Following the backlash, Musk took to X again to clarify his intentions. He noted that a joke made in person, which may elicit laughter, does not always translate well when shared as a plain-text post online. He admitted that "jokes are way less funny if people don't know the context." Musk’s post came after his formal endorsement of Trump, following a separate assassination attempt against the former president in July at a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where Trump was injured, and one attendee was killed. Musk has since been vocal in his criticisms of Biden and Harris while showing continued support for Trump, who has promised to involve Musk in a "government efficiency commission" should he win a second presidential term.