The U.S. Secret Service has acknowledged its awareness of a now-deleted social media post by Elon Musk, in which he suggested that “no one is even trying” to assassinate President Joe Biden or Vice-President Kamala Harris. The post, shared on X (formerly Twitter), was later removed by Musk, who claimed it was intended as a joke.
The controversial post came shortly after an alleged assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at his golf course in Florida. Musk, a known ally of Trump, has recently expressed support for the former president, even stating that Trump plans to enlist him to lead a “government efficiency commission” if re-elected.
The post, which included a raised eyebrow emoji, sparked outrage from many X users, who accused Musk of inciting violence against the current president and vice president. The White House condemned the remark, calling the rhetoric “irresponsible” and emphasizing that violence should never be encouraged or joked about. “There should be no place for political violence or for any violence ever in our country,” the statement added.
The Secret Service, while not commenting on specific cases, affirmed that it investigates all threats against its protectees. In response to the backlash, Musk explained that what might have been humorous in a personal context didn’t translate well on social media. He tweeted, “Turns out that jokes are way less funny if people don’t know the context and the delivery is in plain text.”
Musk’s post is part of a broader pattern of controversial remarks, as he continues to voice criticism of Biden and Harris while showing public support for Trump. His endorsement of Trump followed a separate assassination attempt on the former president in July, during a rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, where Trump was injured and an attendee was killed.