by Mary Spiller
January 9, 2026
The tech billionaire’s social media response revives scrutiny of past controversies, including a widely criticized gesture at Donald Trump’s 2025 inauguration.
Elon Musk is facing renewed criticism after endorsing a social media post that warned of violence against white men if they lose political and demographic dominance in the United States. The exchange, which took place on X on Jan. 8, has sparked alarm among political observers as Musk’s public conduct continues to generate controversy.
On Thursday, Musk responded to a post written by an X user “Jerr” who claimed, “If White men become a minority, we will be slaughtered.” The post went on to argue that “White solidarity is the only way to survive,” asserting that non-white groups would become “1000x times more hostile and cruel” if they gained majority power.
Musk replied with a “100” emoji, a widely used symbol to indicate full agreement.
The endorsement immediately drew attention because of Musk’s prominence as the owner of X and the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, as well as his close relationship with President Donald Trump. Critics said the response appeared to lend credibility to rhetoric commonly associated with white nationalist ideology.
The incident also revived scrutiny of Musk’s past behavior. Nearly a year ago, he faced backlash after making a one-handed gesture during festivities surrounding Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20, 2025. Many observers said the motion resembled a Nazi salute. Musk has repeatedly denied that interpretation.
At the time, he dismissed the criticism as partisan. “Frankly, they need better dirty tricks,” Musk wrote on X in response to the backlash. “The ‘everyone is Hitler’ attack is sooo tired,” he added, punctuating the post with a sleeping emoji.
Despite those denials, Musk’s subsequent actions have included sharing or amplifying far-right content, supporting extremist political movements in Europe, making jokes referencing Nazi imagery, and overseeing the creation of an AI-powered chatbot that, at one point, generated praise for Adolf Hitler. Supporters argue that Musk is being unfairly targeted and that his remarks are taken out of context.
Musk, who has positioned himself as a champion of free speech on X, has not issued a clarification or apology regarding the Jan. 8 post.
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