Elon Musk is on a racist posting spree again | The VergeSkip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAIHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.Hamburger Navigation ButtonNavigation DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Login / Sign UpcloseCloseSearchTechExpandAmazonAppleFacebookGoogleMicrosoftSamsungBusinessCreatorsMobilePolicySecurityTransportationReviewsExpandLaptopsPhonesHeadphonesTabletsSmart HomeSmartwatchesSpeakersDronesScienceExpandSpaceEnergyEnvironmentHealthEntertainmentExpandGamesTV ShowsMoviesAudioAIVerge ShoppingExpandBuying GuidesDealsGift GuidesSee All ShoppingCarsExpandElectric CarsAutonomous CarsRide-sharingScootersOther TransportationFeaturesVideosExpandYouTubeTikTokInstagramPodcastsExpandDecoderThe VergecastVersion HistoryNewslettersExpandThe Verge DailyInstallerVerge DealsNotepadOptimizerRegulatorThe StepbackArchivesStoreSubscribeFacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSThe VergeThe Verge logo.Elon Musk is on a racist posting spree againComments DrawerCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...NewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsPolicyClosePolicyPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All PolicyTechCloseTechPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TechElon Musk is on a racist posting spree againMusk says white people “will go from being a small minority of world population today to virtually extinct” and backs President Donald Trump’s attacks on Somali immigrants.Musk says white people “will go from being a small minority of world population today to virtually extinct” and backs President Donald Trump’s attacks on Somali immigrants.by Adi RobertsonCloseAdi RobertsonSenior Editor, Tech & PolicyPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Adi RobertsonDec 3, 2025, 4:35 PM UTCLinkShareImage: Cath Virginia / The Verge | Photo by STR / NurPhoto, Getty ImagesAdi RobertsonCloseAdi RobertsonPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Adi Robertson is a senior tech and policy editor focused on online platforms and free expression. Adi has covered virtual and augmented reality, the history of computing, and more for The Verge since 2011.Billionaire Elon Musk — who’s long used his X (formerly Twitter) platform to stoke anger at immigrants and support antisemitic conspiracy theories — has spent the past day spreading and praising claims that “White people are on the verge of extinction,” Somali immigrants have “no right to be in America,” and nonprofits who support them are committing “treason and should be met with force.”Musk quoted or reposted numerous statements from other accounts, peppering his reposts with approving commentary like “true” and “simply a fact.” A number were related to the Trump administration’s ongoing investigation of alleged public assistance program fraud in Minnesota, where many defendants are part of Minnesota’s sizable Somali American community. He reposted commentary about a case involving a Somali immigrant who was convicted earlier this year of sexually assaulting a child, as well as other cases in which immigrants committed crimes.The accounts included UK far-right figure Tommy Robinson, who Musk reinstated on X after he was banned from the platform for “hateful conduct” in 2018. “NGO’s in Minnesota are getting paid $2,375 for every Somali immigrant they bring into the United States,” Robinson’s post said, apparently referring to a one-time federal resettlement fund payment meant for “basic needs” like food and furnishing. “This is treason and should be met with force.” Another repost from an account with 1.2 million followers, Wall Street Apes, asserted that “overall Somalis have no right to be in America, especially North Dakota and Minnesota. They don’t integrate into our societies. They carry over their clan mentalities.” (The post was quoting a video by another influencer, who said his truck had been rear-ended by an immigrant.)Musk, who has 14 (known) children, offered his own more substantive statement about white birthrates. “​​If current trends continue, Whites will go from being a small minority of world population today to virtually extinct!” he wrote on December 2nd. He also repeated his long-running assertion that immigration is a plot to put Democrats in power, a belief linked with his long-running support of the “great replacement” conspiracy theory that immigrants are being “imported” by liberals (and particularly Jews) to displace white Americans. “The far left imported voters to gain power and it worked,” he wrote, quoting a post that falsely claimed Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) “wasn’t even elected by Americans.”Musk’s posts also emphasized his alignment with President Donald Trump — who has feuded with Musk repeatedly despite their close collaboration in the past year. Musk reposted a December 2nd video of Trump saying “I like Elon a lot” and “I think we get along well,” as well as a video of White House adviser Stephen Miller. Earlier this week, Trump said that immigrants from Somalia “contribute nothing” and that “I don’t want them in our country.”Years ago, Musk’s statements would likely have raised alarm among advertisers on the platform he has owned since 2022. IBM and Apple, among others, pulled ads from the platform in 2023 after Musk praised a far-right poster’s call for white pride and agreed with antisemitic, anti-immigrant statements. But Musk responded with a campaign of legal harassment, and Trump administration officials worked conditions discouraging dropping ads from platforms like X into a major ad company merger proposal. Earlier this year, one ad consulting firm CEO told The Wall Street Journal that brands were “afraid of the legal and political ramifications” of not advertising on X.Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Adi RobertsonCloseAdi RobertsonSenior Editor, Tech & PolicyPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Adi RobertsonElon MuskCloseElon MuskPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All Elon MuskNewsCloseNewsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NewsPolicyClosePolicyPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All PolicyPoliticsClosePoliticsPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All PoliticsTechCloseTechPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All TechTwitter - XCloseTwitter - XPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All Twitter - XMost PopularMost PopularOpenAI declares ‘code red’ as Google catches up in AI raceSteam Machine today, Steam Phones tomorrowSilicon Valley is rallying behind a guy who sucksHBO Max’s Mad Men 4K release is the opposite of a remasterMKBHD is taking down his wallpaper appThe Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. 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Elon Musk’s recent activity on his platform, X (formerly Twitter), has drawn significant attention and criticism, centered around a sustained period of posts perceived as racially charged and aligned with extremist viewpoints. This behavior represents a continuation of a pattern observed since Musk acquired the platform in late 2022, marked by the amplification of inflammatory rhetoric and the reinstatement of accounts previously banned for hate speech and incitement. The core of the controversy revolves around Musk’s dissemination and endorsement of claims regarding white population decline, criticisms directed at Somali immigrants, and support for the “great replacement” conspiracy theory. These statements, coupled with his repeated alignment with Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant sentiments, have generated considerable concern among observers and advertisers.

The specific content of Musk’s posts highlights a deliberate strategy of promoting narratives typically associated with the far-right and white nationalist movements. He repeatedly shared commentary, including from Tommy Robinson, a UK far-right figure previously banned for hateful conduct, that accused Somali immigrants of “treason” and demanded forceful action. Furthermore, Musk amplified claims suggesting that immigrant resettlement funds were being fraudulently utilized, referencing a federal program intended to provide basic needs support to Somali immigrants in Minnesota. This exemplifies a tactic of misrepresenting facts and exploiting existing tensions related to immigration debates.

Central to Musk’s behavior is his endorsement of the “great replacement” theory, a dangerous and pseudoscientific conspiracy theory alleging that white people are being systematically displaced by immigrants. This theory has been linked to acts of violence and has been widely discredited by scholars and experts. The repeated invocation of this theory in conjunction with claims about white population decline paints a picture of deliberate and calculated messaging designed to stoke fear and prejudice.

The impact of Musk's actions is multi-faceted. First, it directly contributes to the normalization of racist and discriminatory rhetoric, potentially influencing public opinion and fueling prejudice. Second, it poses a significant concern for advertisers who have previously pulled their advertising from X due to concerns about brand safety and public perception. IBM and Apple, among others, suspended their advertising campaigns following Musk’s initial endorsement of a far-right poster's call for white pride. This created a challenging environment for businesses who might otherwise have utilized X for marketing purposes. Third, the behavior reinforces the platform’s reputation for hosting and amplifying harmful content, contributing to its declining user trust and hindering efforts to establish responsible governance.

Musk’s strategy also mirrors a larger pattern of political alignment, mirroring the rhetoric and policies associated with Donald Trump. This echoes a previous collaboration but is distinctly different when Musk has become the primary driver of the messaging, regardless of his prior support for the former president. This sustained alignment suggests a deliberate effort to cultivate a user base receptive to conservative political viewpoints – often within the context of nationalist and anti-immigrant themes.

This period of activity has received considerable media scrutiny, with outlets like *The Verge* documenting and analyzing Musk’s posts. The subsequent response demonstrates a continued public and commercial pressure on X, highlighting the complexities of balancing freedom of speech with the responsibility to mitigate the harm caused by the amplification of dangerous and discriminatory content. It represents a critical juncture in the platform’s trajectory, particularly for its future viability as an advertising and communications platform.