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A viral tweet circulating on social media falsely claims that Elon Musk, the CEO of X (formerly Twitter), has vowed to punish anyone who refers to former president Donald Trump supporters as "weird."
On July 30, 2024, a since-deleted tweet on X was posted, garnering significant attention. The tweet alleges that Musk has instituted a new policy on X that targets users who use derogatory language towards former President Donald Trump supporters.
Although Elon Musk endorsed Donald Trump following an alleged attack on him on July 12, 2024, he has never issued a statement or tweeted about the punishment of supporters from any political party. Therefore, the circulating tweet claiming otherwise has been confirmed as false.
Elon Musk did not vow to punish anyone calling Trump supporters weird on X
As mentioned, a tweet falsely claiming that Elon Musk vowed to penalize users who refer to former President Donald Trump supporters as "weird" on the platform has been circulating. According to a now-deleted tweet, Musk oversees and enforces this new policy. The tweet reads as follows:
""Weird" is being used as a slur against Trump supporters, and it will not be tolerated on this platform. Trump supporters should not have to face ridicule for their beliefs. Any harassment of Trump supporters using the term "Weird" will be punished."
The tweet has been widely reshared on X, with many suggesting in the caption that Elon Musk supports free speech. However, the fake tweet's content contradicts this stance and raises concerns about its alignment with Musk's public position on free expression.
In addition, under some of the reshared tweets, the community notes, which aim to create a better-informed context to the post, replied suggesting that the tweet is fake:
"This image is fake. Elon Musk did not tweet this," community on X tweeted.
A significant discrepancy highlights the inaccuracy of the tweet claiming Elon Musk's involvement. Musk's original verified account on X is marked by the X logo and a blue verification tick next to his name. In contrast, the circulating screenshot of the now-deleted tweet does not include the X logo, indicating it is either not from Musk's verified account or the picture has been edited.
"This isn't real and obviously doctored. The real Musk account has the X logo next to it. Love him or hate him, we should stick to the facts," community on X noted.
Elon Musk has previously expressed support for Donald Trump
Elon Musk has expressed support for Donald Trump before. After the alleged attack on Trump, Musk publicly endorsed him on X and wished him a speedy recovery.
"I fully endorse President Trump and hope for his rapid recovery," Musk tweeted.
In another instance, a user on X shared a tweet claiming that a Google search for Donald Trump yielded results only related to Kamala Harris. Elon Musk retweeted this post with a cryptic message directed at Google. Most recently, on July 29, 2024, Musk shared a screenshot suggesting that Google had allegedly put a search ban on Trump.
"Wow, Google has a search ban on President Donald Trump! Election interference?" Musk tweeted.
Most recently, on July 22, 2024, Musk made headlines by noting that he "is not donating $45 million" to Donald Trump. He said this in a statement when conservative commentator Jordan Peterson interviewed him on X.
"What's been reported in the media is simply not true. I am not donating $45 million a month to Trump," Musk said.
Moreover, the Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump, revealed during a call-in interview on Fox News that Musk never told him that he would pledge $45 million to support his presidential bid. Trump further indicated that Musk is a "nice guy" and that he had "endorsed" him.
"I have a good relationship with him. I think he's a nice guy... But Musk never told me he was giving [$45 million]. But he did say, I strongly endorse you," Trump said.
As per CNBC, two days after the alleged attack on Donald Trump during a rally in Pennsylvania, Musk was planning to donate $45 million a month to the newly formed pro-Trump super political action committee. Musk did not confirm this claim.
Elon Musk's endorsements and tweets on X consistently support free speech and do not include derogatory remarks about any political party. Therefore, the claim that Musk vowed to punish users for referring to Trump supporters as "weird" is false. As of now, Musk has not addressed this fake tweet.
