New York
CNN
—
Elon Musk recently brought the dangerous and long-standing “Pizzagate” conspiracy theory back into the spotlight, just days after facing backlash for his endorsement of an antisemitic conspiracy theory.
Musk’s post on X attempted to link the founder of Media Matters, a progressive media watchdog, to the owner of the “Pizzagate restaurant.” This post caught the attention of Musk’s more than 160 million followers on X.
Pizzagate is an anti-Hillary Clinton conspiracy theory that gained traction on various social media platforms in the final days before the 2016 US presidential election. Supporters alleged the existence of a pedophilia ring involving Clinton and other Democrats.
This unfounded theory led to a man firing an assault rifle inside the restaurant in December 2016. Although no one was hurt, the incident underscored the dangerous impact of false conspiracy theories.
Musk has a history of drawing attention to controversial conspiracy theories on X. Last week, he endorsed an antisemitic post and also fueled a fringe conspiracy theory about a violent attack on Paul Pelosi, the husband of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Last week, Musk faced criticism from the White House and others for promoting an antisemitic conspiracy theory.
The White House spokesperson, Andrew Bates, called Musk out for perpetuating the most fatal act of Antisemitism in American history with his recent actions on X.
At least half a dozen major advertisers, including Disney, Paramount, and NBCUniversal, paused their spending on X in response to Musk’s controversial posts. IBM also suspended advertising on the platform after their ads were found alongside pro-Nazi content.
Despite facing accusations of antisemitism, Musk and his company have denied these claims, stating that they have taken measures to combat discrimination and have accused Media Matters of distorting the truth. X has also sued Media Matters and defended their decision to keep the pro-Nazi accounts active on the platform.
