Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis is refusing to condemn Elon Musk’s post endorsing an antisemitic conspiracy theory.
Republican presidential candidate Ron DeSantis is refusing to condemn Elon Musk ‘s post endorsing an antisemitic conspiracy theory, maintaining Sunday that he wasn’t familiar with the post despite it prompting major companies to pull advertising from the billionaire’s X social media platform.
“I did not see the comment,” DeSantis, the governor of Florida, said on CNN’s “State of the Union.” “And so, I know that Elon has had a target on his back ever since he purchased Twitter because I think he’s taking it in a direction that a lot of people who are used to controlling the narrative don’t like.”
Musk has sparked outcry with a recent tweet responding to a user who accused Jews of hating white people and for professing a general indifference to antisemitism. “You have said the actual truth,” Musk tweeted in a reply Wednesday.
He cannot and will not speak against his voter base and he knows it. He knows damn well what was said- it would be near impossible for him NOT to know.
I have no idea what the comment was even though I’m up to speed in general on the backlash. Difference is that I’m already convinced Elon is a bigoted prick so I never felt a need to check? I’m not sure that makes me any better to be honest. For all I know it was something mundane and taken out of context, I just don’t think that’s very likely and even if it was I already think he’s absolute scum for enough other bs he’s said and done.
The first one in this specific instance, is that someone said “Jewish communties have been pushing the exact kind of dialectical hatred against whites that they claim to want people to stop using against them.”
Musk replied with “You have said the actual truth”
The second one in this specific instance is that someone else said “Everyone is allowed to be proud of their race, except for white people, because we’ve been brainwashed into believing that our history was some how ‘worse’ than other races."
Musk replied with “Yeah, this is super messed up. Time for this nonsense to end and shame ANYONE who perpetuates these lies!”
Both of these are a little dog whistle-ly, and I could see someone who hasn't been in the corners of the internet, or has never heard of things like "straight pride month" not hearing what's actually being said.
He doesn't think endorsing a nazi post will be particularly popular, but he can't afford to alienate his base of nazis, so he pretends he has never heard of it forever until people stop asking. Classic republicans.
The article goes on to point out that DeSantis was shown Elon's comment and then still refused to condemn it. Rhonda's statement against antisemitism rings very hollow when he refuses to denounce antisemitism that's shown to him.
I think what makes DeSantis different right now, is the circus he's putting on in FL to try to demonstrate how extreme he can be. So these despicable and see-through shenanigans are fresh in our memory.
Something that someone pointed out to me several years ago, when there was some scandal in the US Congress and everyone the press contacted was like "I haven't read it so I don't know anything about it": it may or may not be true that he hasn't read it. But he certainly has a staff member who has read it and informed him about it.
"I haven't seen it" is the equivalent of Yes, I know about it, but it would create difficulties for me if I condemn it, so I'm just very conveniently going to avoid 'seeing' it until this blows over. Also, if you continue to press me about the matter, I'm just going to respond that I haven't seen it because I've been focusing on , so there.
The political equivalent of putting your fingers in your ears and yelling LA LA LA LA LA at the top of your lungs when they get asked a question they don't want to answer.
No he doesn't. He doesn't owe anyone that. He simply didn't see the tweet. we aren't all obliged to succle at the teat that is "X" at all hours of the day like rabid squirrels. "I didn't see the comment" is a legitimate answer and should bar no further investigation. Get over it.
It's a brief comment. He has spent longer talking about how he hasn't seen it than it would take to see it, this is disingenuous theater. He's intentionally deflecting so he doesn't have to choose between alienating the fascists that comprise his base, and alienating the moderate R voters that he needs to supplement the fascists if he wants any chance of electability.
Exactly! Since when is it their job to keep track of political debates and news around the world? Politicians have their own shit to handle, we cant just keep pestering them with public worries.
Are you really equating knowing about a widely reported, highly inflammatory statement by one of the most influential people in America with sitting around all day reading tweets?