Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, who has embraced conspiracies and disinformation since purchasing his social-media platform X, shared a video this week showing President Joe Biden seemingly decrying all Republicans as an extremist threat to the nation.
Musk, who purchased what was Twitter for $44 billion in 2022, has endorsed former President Donald Trump‘s run for the White House, having earlier this year hosted the launch of Florida Governor Ron DeSantis‘s unsuccessful GOP primary campaign on X.
The entrepreneur has also championed people and accounts that regularly post misinformation including @amuse, whose content Newsweek has fact-checked elsewhere and who created the Biden video shared by Musk.
President Joe Biden raises his fist at a White House ceremony on September 23, 2024 in Washington, D.C. Elon Musk shared a video in which it appeared the president said Republicans represented an extremist threat to the nation.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
The Claim
A post on X by Elon Musk, posted on September 24, 2024, posted a video created by X user @amuse, which included text stating: “DEMOCRATS INSPIRED RYAN ROUTH AND MATTHEW CROOKS TO KILL.”
The clip also included clips of commentators and politicians including footage of President Joe Biden saying: “Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our Republic.”
The Facts
Aside from the video’s editing and choice of footage, much of which included clips of politicians decrying Donald Trump’s rhetoric, the footage of President Joe Biden has been edited.
The clip was taken from Joe Biden’s Continued Battle for the Soul of the Nation speech, from September 1, 2022, in which he referred to “Donald Trump MAGA Republicans” and even clarified that not all Republicans embraced MAGA “extreme ideology.”
“Too much of what’s happening in our country today is not normal,” Biden said.
“Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic.
“Now, I want to be very clear, very clear up front: Not every Republican, not even the majority of Republicans, are MAGA Republicans. Not every Republican embraces their extreme ideology.
“I know because I’ve been able to work with these mainstream Republicans,” Biden added.
“But there is no question that the Republican Party today is dominated, driven, and intimidated by Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans, and that is a threat to this country.”
The makeup of the Republican Party has altered frequently since Trump began his first presidential run in 2016, with many of his former critics, including running mate JD Vance, switching allegiances.
Now, only a minority of senators and representatives remain in express opposition to Trump, with many of his 2024 primary endorsements winning elections across the States, further increasing his support base. Elsewhere, the 2024 Republican Party platform has echoed Trump’s priorities and is even headlined: “MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”
While the MAGA voice now arguably overshadows those of traditional Republicans, the video of Biden shared by Musk does not accurately repeat the president’s original comments.
The Ruling
Misleading Material.
The clip of Joe Biden shared by Musk was edited. His unedited comments, taken from a speech he made in 2022, referred to “Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans,” not all Republicans. In the same speech, Biden said he was not referring to all Republican Party politicians.
FACT CHECK BY Newsweek‘s Fact Check team
