The Attack on Elon Musk

Within a month, Elon Musk has criticized Biden, attacked progressive ideology, declared support for Republicans, and bid to buy Twitter—a tool used to censor political dissent. Just two days ago, he tweeted, “political attacks on [him] will escalate dramatically in coming months” just two days ago. One of the first has arrived.

The allegations: According to a SpaceX flight attendant, Musk exposed himself during a massage and propositioned her for sex. She was then reportedly paid $250,000 to stay silent.

Musk responds: “If I were inclined to engage in sexual harassment, this is unlikely to be the first time in my entire 30-year career that it comes to light.” He also said, “the attacks against me should be viewed through a political lens – this is their standard (despicable) playbook – but nothing will deter me from fighting for a good future and your right to free speech.”

Some online pundits claim that the sum paid off to the flight attendant is minimal, especially in comparison with Musk’s net worth. Regardless, it’s still a very sizeable amount for most Americans.

Hit piece from last week: This wasn’t the first attack on Elon Musk’s character. Last week the New York Times published an article portraying Musk’s Tesla work environment as a continuation of South Africa’s apartheid.

These attacks started when Musk offered to buy Twitter at $43 billion. His goal is to restore free speech on the platform.

• Axios compared Elon Musk to a “supervillain” financing his “mischief-making.”

• In The Guardian, progressive-favorite Robert Reich compared Elon Musk to Putin and dictators for pursuing online free speech. He claimed it would be a “brave new nightmare” for everyone.

• In The Washington Post, Max Boot argued that Musk would destroy our democracy by fighting for less censorship, not more.

• Business Insider described Elon Musk’s bid as a “chilling new threat.”

The attacks from the political left show how necessary online censorship is to them. Musk is seen as a threat not because he's a billionaire—Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook and Jeff Bezos's Washington Post are viewed favorably—but because he supports free speech.