During a Wednesday interview, Billionaire Elon Musk had some strong words for those who had withdrawn their advertisements from his platform X due to the presence of antisemitic content, telling them to “Go fuck yourself”.
At the New York Times DealBook Summit, Musk, with a profanity-laden outburst, expressed remorse for the tweet he had sent out on Nov. 15 that concurred with an anti-Jewish comment.
Since Nov. 15, Musk has been subject to a barrage of disapproval after siding with an individual who inaccurately declared Jewish individuals were inciting enmity against those of Caucasian descent. In response, Musk confirmed the individual, who had referred to the “Great Replacement” fallacy, was “speaking the actual truth.”
Elon Musk admitted on Wednesday that his recent post was “possibly the worst” of his many “foolish” messages, equating it to handing a loaded gun to his critics.
The Chief Executive Officer of Tesla (TSLA.O) expressed indignation at the suggestion that he was antisemitic, and asserted that those who pulled their ads from the former Twitter should not try to pressure him by refusing to advertise on the platform.
He uttered the phrase, “Go fuck yourself.”
He queried if it was understood, and then stated “Hey Bob,” which appeared to allude to Robert Iger, CEO of Walt Disney DIS.N, which had taken away ads on X. Iger had given a speech earlier at the event.
Musk insisted that even those who had no affection for him should evaluate the quality of the items his business produces, including Tesla electric cars and SpaceX rockets. “I won’t be pandering,” he declared.
On the same day, U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer declared that the surge in antisemitism related to the Israel-Hamas war has become a critical problem, affirming that it poses a danger to Jews everywhere and jeopardizes the future of Israel. Schumer spoke with intense emotion for 40 minutes in the Senate, saying “This rise in antisemitism is an emergency. A five-alarm fire that must be put out.”
The “Great Replacement” theory posits that Jewish people and leftists are supposedly behind a supposed plot to replace white populations with non-white immigrants, which they claim will result in the extinction of the white race.
The White House strongly denounced Musk’s post as an “abhorrent” display of antisemitism and racism.
After the post, several large U.S. organizations such as Disney DIS.N, Warner Bros Discovery WBD.O, and parent corporation of NBCUniversal Comcast CMCSA.O halted their advertising on X. Media Matters, a liberal investigative organization, initiated the advertiser exodus after releasing a report that stated it identified posts which supported Nazism with ads placed beside them. Last week, the platform legally challenged Media Matters for defamation.
Following the criticism, Musk went to Israel and inspected the site of Hamas’ assault in the nation on Oct. 7. On Monday, he engaged in a video conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on X.
On Wednesday, Musk declared that the journey was already in the works prior to his communication and was “separate” from the matter.
Musk, while in Israel, declared that he is against antisemitism and any other form of expression that could create conflict. He further asserted that X would not condone hate speech.
Netanyahu mentioned to Musk during their conversation that his presence indicated his dedication to attaining a better future.
In an expansive interview, Musk commented on a range of topics including freedom of speech, the environment, and the upcoming U.S. presidential election. Although he indicated he would not vote to keep Joe Biden in office, he did not reveal if he would cast a ballot for his likely opponent, Donald Trump.
