Elon Musk, the world’s wealthiest individual turned ardent Trump supporter, said he would accept the results of the 2024 U.S. presidential election even in the event that Democratic nominee Kamala Harris wins. The revelation, which came in a brief email exchange with The Atlantic, is not without consequences: as the owner of social media platform X, Musk holds the power to disseminate misinformation to millions of followers.
Musk has recently stirred controversy by promoting conspiracy theories and spreading dubious claims. He has suggested that the media manipulates public emotions for political purposes on behalf of the Democratic National Committee and has repeated allegations that the Biden administration is illegally importing voters to commit fraud. To further highlight his propensity to conflate damaging disinformation with laughter, he recently posted a manipulated video insulting Kamala Harris.
Musk is well-known for his controversial online presence and frequent participation in what many would consider trolling, making his actions not too surprising. His biographer, Walter Isaacson, pointed out that the social peace of society and his legacy suffer from the billionaire’s dark and impetuous tweeting habit, contending that his actions worsen the climate online. Social media’s part in the January 6 uprising serves as a stark reminder of how hate speech on the internet may spur acts of physical violence. And given Musk’s influence over X, there are worries about how the platform may be used in upcoming political upheaval.
When questioned about possible violence or election denial following the vote, Musk emphasized that the will of the people must be respected. However, his disclaimer for a “proper review” of the results is somehow reminiscent of Trump’s statements and all but casts doubt on the political process.
Despite his claims to have backed Democratic politicians in the past, Musk’s recent behavior and remarks point to a strong ideological connection with the far-right, on matters like suspected voting fraud and left-wing bias. This tendency is best shown by Musk’s remarks about Google. Citing what he saw as a pervasive prejudice in tech algorithms, he attacked the search engine for allegedly favoring pro-Harris articles over queries connected to Trump. His assertions were not disproved by Google’s explanation of glitches and peculiarities in their system, which served to strengthen his portrayal of the tech sector as biased.
