(NewsNation) — After getting a barrage of criticism, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk deleted a tweet he made saying that “no one is even trying” to assassinate current President Joe Biden or Vice President Kamala Harris.
After an alleged assassination attempt on former president Donald Trump Sunday afternoon while he was golfing in Florida, Musk quote-tweeted an X post asking, “Why they want to kill Donald Trump?”
“And no one is even trying to assassinate Biden/Kamala,” Musk, who owns X, wrote, adding a thinking face emoji, according to The Hill.
When told by another X user that he should “reconsider the post,” Musk replied, “No one has even tried to do so is the point I’m making and no one will.”
Musks’ posts drew swift condemnation, including from former U.S. Rep. Adam Kinzinger, R-Ill.
“What is wrong with this guy?!?! Can anyone who loves him have an intervention?” Kinzinger wrote on X. “I’m serious this is off the rails.”
White House spokesperson Andrew Bates said in a statement that Musk’s rhetoric was irresponsible.
“As President Biden and Vice President Harris said after yesterday’s disturbing news, ‘there is no place for political violence or for any violence ever in our country,’ and ‘we all must do our part to ensure that this incident does not lead to more violence,'” Bates said. “Violence should only be condemned, never encouraged or joked about.”
Musk later posted another tweet saying that he’s learned that “just because I say something to a group and they laugh doesn’t mean it’s going to be all that hilarious as a post on X.”
The suspect in Sunday’s attempted assassination of Trump is now facing two firearms charges after an initial court appearance Monday.