AAP FACTCHECK – Not even Elon Musk is immune from misinformation on his own social media platform, with tweets from a fake account in his name being shared online.
Musk’s X has been criticised for containing US election misinformation, and now his relationship with president-elect Donald Trump is the subject of fake claims on the platform formerly known as Twitter.
A fake X post, made to appear as if it was a genuine tweet from the Tesla CEO and SpaceX founder, says Trump knows Musk got him elected and is going to do anything Musk tells him.
The post, responding to what it says are media reports of a rift in his so-called bromance with Trump, has also been shared on Facebook.
It says: “Lib media already trying to create a schism between me and Trump, saying I’m overstaying my welcome at Mar a Lago, that I’m annoying him, ha!!! Trump and I are solid as can be. He knows I got him elected and he’s going to do anything I tell him to do.”
A version of the tweet with the date November 16, 2024 was also shared on Reddit with the comment “Elon claims he’s the real boss”.
The profile picture on the post, showing Musk in his “dark gothic MAGA” hat, accurately reflects his X profile, which carried that picture from around October 25 to November 17, according to an archive of Musk’s X profile.
However, the archive also shows no such post was made on November 16.
AAP FactCheck has searched extensively online for the post, and while it appears on X, Facebook and Reddit, it’s never linked to a legitimate Musk account.
Neither does it appear in any news reports about Musk’s alignment with Donald Trump.
The relationship between the pair has been closely followed and reported on by the world’s media, with both men standing to mutually benefit from the other’s influence, according to Reuters.
Every interaction has been scrutinised, including a brief moment where Trump appears to be telling Musk to pay attention to a UFC match they attended on November 18, which was reported by The Guardian and became a news story on channels such as India Today.
The sentiment in the last sentence of the fake post — that Trump is going to do anything Musk tells him to do — contradicts both the deference Musk has paid to Trump and his tone in subsequent official posts on X.
This includes a November 20 post where Musk says he’s honoured to have the president-elect at the Starship launch, and another hitting out at the media for portraying Trump as being out for revenge.
On November 19, Musk posted about their attendance at the UFC match and sharing McDonald’s on the flight back, saying “That was such a fun night! I have to say that the team @ realDonaldTrump is assembling for this administration is very strong. The vibe is good”.
The Verdict
False – The claim is inaccurate.
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