Musk posts fake image of Harris in communist garb

Elon Musk posts a fake image of Kamala Harris in communist garb, sparking controversy online. Discover the details behind the viral post

Elon Musk Sparks Controversy with Manipulated Image of Vice President Harris on Platform X

 

Elon Musk, the owner of the social platform X, has come under fire after posting what appeared to be a manipulated image of Vice President Kamala Harris dressed in red military attire emblazoned with the communist symbol of the hammer and sickle. The post, which was shared on Sunday, included a caption from Musk that read, "Kamala vows to be a communist dictator on day one. Can you believe she wears that outfit!?" The message has sparked significant controversy, given Musk's public endorsement of former President Donald Trump's 2024 presidential campaign.

 

The image and accompanying text were posted in response to an earlier post from Vice President Harris, where she highlighted concerns about Trump's potential for authoritarian governance. Harris’s original post featured a bold graphic stating, "Donald Trump vows to be a dictator on day one," with a black-and-white image of Trump in the background. "We won’t let him," Harris wrote in her caption.

 

Musk's post was met with criticism from users on X, who pointed out that the platform’s own guidelines prohibit the sharing of "synthetic, manipulated, or out-of-context media that may deceive or confuse people and lead to harm." While X’s rules allow for certain exceptions in the case of "memes or satire," they stipulate that such content should not cause significant confusion regarding the authenticity of the media.

 

The Hill has reached out to X for comment, but no official response has been provided at this time.

 

This incident comes amid ongoing tensions between Trump and his political opponents, particularly over remarks he made during a Fox News town hall in December. During the event, Trump, when asked by host Sean Hannity to reassure voters that he would not abuse his power if re-elected, responded with a quip that he would be a dictator "only on day one," citing his intention to "close the border and drill, drill, drill." Trump's statement has since been used by critics to highlight concerns about his potential return to the White House.

 

As the 2024 election cycle intensifies, this latest controversy involving Musk and Harris underscores the increasingly polarized and contentious nature of the political discourse on social media platforms.