The Secret Service has confirmed that they are aware of a now-deleted social media post made by Elon Musk regarding an apparent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump. The post in question raised eyebrows as it questioned why President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris had not been targeted.
In response to the post, a spokesperson for the Secret Service stated that the agency investigates all threats to the president and vice president as a standard practice. While declining to comment directly on Musk's post, the spokesperson emphasized that the Secret Service takes all threats related to their protectees seriously.
Initially, Musk resisted calls to delete the controversial post, even doubling down on his remarks in one response. However, he eventually removed the post after being persuaded that his 'obvious intent' could be misinterpreted.
Following the deletion of the post, Musk further engaged with social media users, including responding with a thinking face emoji to a post highlighting the lack of assassination attempts on the four presidents who preceded Trump.
The White House has labeled Musk's comments as 'irresponsible,' adding to the ongoing discussion surrounding the incident.
While Musk has clarified that the post was intended as a joke, the situation has sparked debate and scrutiny over the boundaries of online discourse and the responsibilities of public figures in the digital age.