During a recent interview, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis refused to denounce Elon Musk despite the billionaire’s controversial tweet. CNN’s Jake Tapper brought up Musk’s tweet, in which he appeared to make anti-Semitic remarks, during the interview. DeSantis, however, claimed that he hadn’t seen the comment and defended Musk’s ownership of Twitter, stating that Musk has faced criticism since purchasing the platform.
Musk and DeSantis have a longstanding relationship, with Musk supporting DeSantis’ presidential campaign and expressing preference for him in the 2024 election. When faced with Tapper’s questions, DeSantis attempted to downplay the seriousness of Musk’s tweet, claiming that left-wing institutions were responsible for the promotion of anti-Semitism, while blaming the tweet on mere “blogging.”
Despite Tapper’s insistence and the revelation that major advertisers have pulled away from Twitter, DeSantis initially refused to condemn Musk. Only after Tapper persisted did DeSantis offer a vague critique, saying he had never witnessed Musk engaging in such behavior, and hesitated to pass judgment without more information.
The controversy around Musk’s tweet has caused several major advertisers, including IBM, Apple, Disney, and Warner Bros. Discovery, to withdraw their ad spending from Twitter in response.
