Backlash spreads to over Elon Musk’s endorsement of anti-Semitic post

financialpost.com:

Fallout from an Elon Musk post endorsing Anti-semitic views continues to spread, prompting a rebuke from the White House and criticism from Tesla Inc. investors as advertisers flee his social media platform, X.

Musk, who regularly engages with anti-Semitic users on X, agreed with a post that said Jewish people hold a “dialectical hatred” of white people. “You have said the actual truth,” Musk said.

The White House called Musk’s response an “unacceptable” act that endangers Jewish communities. Meanwhile, several Tesla shareholders also spoke out against Musk, who is the chief executive of the electric car maker, with some saying he should be suspended from his post.

Americans have “an obligation to speak out against anyone who attacks the dignity of their fellow Americans and compromises the safety of our communities,” White House spokesman Andrew Bates said in a statement on Friday. Musk’s companies hold several government contracts.

Musk’s remarks add to backlash sparked by a report from Media Matters released Thursday showing ads for International Business Machines Corp., Apple Inc., Oracle Corp., Comcast Corp.’s Xfinity brand and the Bravo television network running on X next to pro-Nazi content. IBM said it will stop advertising on X until the situation is resolved. The European Commission also said it would pull ads on X but would continue using X to post news items and other information.

“X has also been extremely clear about our efforts to combat anti-Semitism (sic) and discrimination,” X chief executive Linda Yaccarino said on the platform Thursday. “There’s no place for it anywhere in the world — it’s ugly and wrong. Full stop.”

Musk didn’t respond to a request for comment.

Musk, the chief executive of Tesla