Aware of Musk's assassination post about Biden: US Secret Service
What's the story
The United States Secret Service has acknowledged a controversial post by Tesla CEO Elon Musk on X, in which he stated that "no one is even trying" to assassinate President Joe Biden or Vice President Kamala Harris.
The post, which has since been removed by Musk, drew criticism from both Democrats and Republicans, due to concerns over potential incitement of violence against the US leaders.
Timing
Musk's controversial post follows Trump assassination attempt
Musk's contentious post was published shortly after an alleged assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump at his Florida golf course.
The tech mogul, who has a following of nearly 200 million users on X, is known for his close ties with Trump.
In fact, Trump has previously stated his intention to appoint Musk to head a "government efficiency commission" if he secures a second term as US President.
Reactions
White House reacts to Musk's statement
The White House has publicly denounced Musk's post, labeling it as "irresponsible rhetoric."
In a statement, they emphasized, "Violence should only be condemned, never encouraged or joked about," and advocated for a zero-tolerance stance toward any form of violence in the country.
The US Secret Service, when contacted by the BBC regarding the matter, stated that they were "aware" of the post but did not provide further comments due to their policy on matters involving protective intelligence.
Apology
Musk acknowledges misstep, deletes controversial post
Following the backlash, Musk removed his controversial post and admitted that it was intended as a joke.
He acknowledged his misjudgment in a follow-up tweet, stating, "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."