Elon Musk is coming under fire with critics calling for him to be stripped of his security clearance and deported following a bizarre tweet in the wake of Donald Trump being targeted in an apparent “attempted assassination,” the second in two months.
The Republican presidential nominee was reportedly targeted while playing golf at his golf club in West Palm Beach, Florida, on Sunday (September 15). Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw revealed his office was alerted to the incident at 1:30 p.m. ET after the Secret Service fired at a man armed with a rifle. Secret Service agents spotted the man hiding after noticing a rifle peeking through the bushes along the perimeter of the golf club.
An agent fired at the suspect, who dropped the rifle and fled in an SUV. He was later detained by law enforcement in a neighboring county. The FBI said it is “investigating what appears to be an attempted assassination of former President Trump.” The Trump campaign noted the former President is “safe and unharmed” following the incident.
Elon Musk shared his reaction on his social media platform X (Twitter). He responded to a tweet, asking, “Why they want to kill Donald Trump?” Musk replied, “And no one is even trying to assassinate Biden/Kamala.”
Elon Musk Deletes Post Amid Backlash
Social media users swiftly condemned Musk’s post, and #DeportElonMusk began trending. Musk later deleted his post amid the backlash, claiming it was a joke.
“Well, one lesson I’ve learned is that just because I say something to a group and they laugh doesn’t mean it’s going to be all that hilarious as a post on 𝕏,” he wrote. “Turns out that jokes are WAY less funny if people don’t know the context and the delivery is plain text.”
Nonetheless, users failed to see the funny side and called for Elon Musk to be stripped of his security clearance. Check out some of the reactions below.
Elon is a national defense contractor. He needs his security clearance revoked immediately. Any government contracts outstanding need to be cancelled immediately. This is actually insane. pic.twitter.com/z2vpMGkryN
— F### You I Quit (@fuckyouiquit) September 16, 2024
Who else thinks Elon Musk is a threat to national security?
— Art Candee 🍿🥤 (@ArtCandee) September 16, 2024
🙋♀️ pic.twitter.com/blrztVvR52
Elon Musk is complaining that there hasn’t been an assassination attempt on the Vice President of the United States of America. pic.twitter.com/luSbkneQiG
— David Leavitt 🎲🎮🧙♂️🌈 (@David_Leavitt) September 16, 2024
I’m concerned about Kamala Harris’s safety now.
— Aes🇺🇸 (@AesPolitics1) September 16, 2024
Elon Musk is a f###### idiot and he doesn’t think before he types. pic.twitter.com/zGjc82OJDB
Even if they don't #DeportElonMusk, I'm happy to screenshot his post to document that he said this for all relevant authorities to consider his citizenship, government contracts, business practices, and more.
— HEY-EY-EY-EY! (HEY-EY-EY-EY!) Let's Go, Buffalo! (@SethFromThe716) September 16, 2024
Freedom of speech doesn't mean freedom from consequences. pic.twitter.com/ambpPqI2Lp