Elon Musk’s pro-Donald Trump political action committee (PAC) recently released an inflammatory ad targeting Vice President Kamala Harris that referenced a vulgar term considered derogatory to women.
What Was the Ad?
The 35-second ad, posted on October 25 to Musk’s social media platform X (formerly Twitter), opens with a disclaimer: “contains multiple instances of the c-word.”
This label is subsequently directed at Harris, described as a “tax-hiking, regulation-loving, gun-grabbing communist” with visuals of the Democratic presidential nominee and a caricature of a cat in a Soviet-style military uniform.
The ad, though absent from Musk’s America PAC’s main X feed, remained accessible through a search on the platform as of Tuesday morning.
According to The Associated Press, an America PAC representative declined to comment on the video’s release.
Elon Musk speaks before Republican presidential nominee former President Donald Trump at a campaign rally at Madison Square Garden on October 27, 2024, in New York. Musk’s pro-Donald Trump political action committee recently released an inflammatory ad targeting Vice President Kamala Harris.
Evan Vucci/AP
Musk’s Efforts to Support Trump
Musk, the leader of SpaceX, Tesla and X, endorsed Trump for president earlier this year, and his super PAC started a $1 million daily giveaway to registered voters in swing states. The “c-word ad” closes with a request for viewers to sign a petition tied to the giveaway, in which those who sign pledge to support to the U.S. Constitution.
Since his endorsement, Musk has gone all in for Trump, the GOP presidential nominee. He has poured millions of his own dollars into donations to pro-Trump super PACs, as well as joined the former president during campaign rallies.
Concerns Over Rhetoric
Both Musk and Trump have frequently employed the term “Comrade Kamala” to suggest Harris would promote socialist policies if elected, continuing a controversial narrative in this pivotal election season.
The new ad is only the latest in increasingly coarse rhetoric surfacing in the final stages of the campaign, especially from Trump and his supporters. At a recent rally in Madison Square Garden, figures like comedian Tony Hinchcliffe made controversial remarks, including calling Puerto Rico “a floating island of garbage.” His comments also included racist and offensive comments about Latinos, Jews and Black people.
The comment quickly brought a backlash, including condemnation from Trump’s Republican allies from states with large Puerto Rican populations, and the chairman of the Republican Party of Puerto Rico has called on Trump to publicly apologize for the comment.
While Trump did not directly mention the backlash during recent events on Monday, he reportedly denied any knowledge of Hinchcliffe during an appearance in New York on Tuesday.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
