Fact Check: Is Elon Musk buying ABC to end "wokeness" from the network? Viral post debunked

On October 18, 2024, a Facebook page called SpaceX Fanclub made a post stating that Elon Musk is planning to acquire ABC to "remove wokeness," and that he plans to fire the channel's debate moderators immediately. The post has gathered 1.5k comments and more than 6k reactions so far, giving internet users the impression that Musk is actually planning to do what the post mentions.

However, the Facebook page SpaceX Fanclub's intro states:

"We post SATIRE, nothing on this page is real."

Additionally, the fact-checking website Snopes mentioned that the SpaceX Fanclub post shared an article in the comments section, which is possibly where the claim in question originated from. The article belongs to a satirical website called Esspots, wherein the piece claims that:

"In a move that has shocked media insiders and sent Twitter into a frenzy, Elon Musk is reportedly considering buying ABC, with one clear mission: to 'set things straight.'"

The article also claimed that Musk would fire ABC anchor David Muir, and this decision stems from the anchor's role in the presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump. The piece also mentioned that Musk told his close associates, during a private conversation, that "ABC is broken" and "ABC needs a reboot," and who'd be better to fix it than him.

However, the description of Esspots mentions:

"We understand that satire can sometimes be mistaken for actual news or events, but we want to make it clear that we do not publish factual or accurate information. We do not intend to deceive or mislead our readers in any way, and all of our content should be taken with a grain of salt."

Additionally, the Esspots 'About Us' page reads:

"Our team of writers and editors is dedicated to bringing you the latest and greatest in fake news and absurdity, all with a healthy dose of humor and satire."

Additionally, the news of Elon Musk buying ABC or firing any of its moderators has not been published by any noteworthy news platforms either, making it a piece of fake news posted by a satirical page on Facebook.

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"These are not matters of opinion": Dominion spokesperson comments on Elon Musk pushing false conspiracies

On October 17, 2024, Elon Musk spoke at a town hall in Pennsylvania, wherein he repeated the false conspiracy theories, stating that voting machines rig elections. This theory made rounds during the 2020 elections as well and was debunked, however, it is still being used by several MAGA supporters.

Musk said that he's a technologist and knows a lot about computers, referring to the voting machines. He also stated that the last thing he'd do is trust a computer program, as they are easy to hack.

Moreover, during his visit to Pennsylvania, Musk targetted the voting machine company Dominion, linking it to the Republicans' loss in Arizona and Philadelphia. The Tesla CEO said that the Dominion voting machines are used in Maricopa County and Philadelphia "but not in a lot of other places."

However, Dominion released a statement via their spokesperson in response to Elon Musk's comment, stating:

"Fact: Dominion does not serve Philadelphia County. Fact: Dominion's voting systems are already based on voter verified paper ballots. Fact: Hand counts and audits of such paper ballots have repeatedly proven that Dominion machines produce accurate results. These are not matters of opinion. They are verifiable facts."

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This recent instance is not the first time that false news surrounding Elon Musk and ABC has made headlines. In June 2024, Facebook accounts shared photos of Musk and Whoopi Goldberg, claiming the Tesla CEO fired the cast of The View after acquiring ABC.

However, fact-checking platforms like Reuters and Snopes debunked the rumors, stating it was fake news and that neither Musk nor ABC had published or commented on the same.