Elon Musk found himself in hot water after making a now-deleted post on X, where he questioned why there had been no assassination attempts on President Joe Biden or Vice President Kamala Harris. Musk’s comment, which came shortly after a second assassination attempt on Donald Trump, drew widespread criticism on social media.
In a statement to the Washington Examiner, Musk explained his remarks, claiming that Biden and Harris are “puppets of the system” and could easily be replaced. According to Musk, this makes them less of a target than Trump, who, in his view, is a unique figure unwilling to simply follow orders from the establishment.
The U.S. Secret Service, which protects Biden, Harris, and Trump, took note of Musk’s post. While the agency declined to comment on specific cases, it confirmed that all threats are taken seriously and investigated. Musk confirmed that the Secret Service had not contacted him about his post and admitted that deleting the message was the right decision, saying, “It was dumb.”
Musk’s views were mirrored by Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH), Trump’s running mate, who made a similar comment during a speech in Georgia. Vance stated that unlike Trump, no one had tried to assassinate Biden or Harris in recent months. His remarks were addressed during a White House press briefing, with press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre labeling such language as “dangerous.”
Musk has previously endorsed Trump and has expressed interest in serving in a Trump administration if the opportunity arises.
