Staff Reports
Republican Presidential hopeful Ron DeSantis faced scrutiny on CNN’s “State of the Union” as he dodged condemning Elon Musk’s controversial social media post endorsing an antisemitic conspiracy theory. DeSantis stood firm, claiming he had not seen Musk’s contentious comment and attributing the blowback to Musk’s takeover of Twitter, which has rattled those accustomed to controlling the narrative.
DeSantis won’t condemn Musk for endorsing antisemitic post on X, says he ‘did not see the comment’ https://t.co/cRIOuQRhoM pic.twitter.com/obRZg4WOd0
— The Washington Times (@WashTimes) November 20, 2023
Despite major companies withdrawing advertising from Musk’s X social media platform, DeSantis boldly announced his presidential bid on the same platform. While Musk’s post and its repercussions filled the airwaves, DeSantis deflected calls for condemnation, asserting his lack of familiarity with the context of Musk’s post and vouching for Musk’s beliefs in America without evidence to support these claims.
DeSantis maintained opposition to antisemitism “across the board,” emphasizing that it is wrong regardless of its ideological origins while evading condemning Musk’s specific post. The controversy also drew attention from the White House, with spokesperson Andrew Bates denouncing the “hideous lie” perpetuated by Musk’s post, referencing its timing in relation to an attack on Israel by Hamas.
Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin criticized DeSantis’s refusal to condemn the post, questioning the credibility of DeSantis’s claim that he hadn’t seen Musk’s comment and calling for explicit denouncement of antisemitism and racism. Raskin labeled Musk’s post “outrageous and dangerous” and suggested that the House would take action to address the issue directly with Musk.
In the midst of this high-stakes political drama, DeSantis remained steadfast in his refusal to denounce Musk’s post, maintaining a stance that garnered criticism from opponents and amplified the controversy surrounding Musk’s social media activity.
