In the wake of an alleged assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has stirred controversy with his remarks on social media.
Musk, a known supporter of Trump, questioned why similar threats have not been directed at President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
The incident, which occurred on Sunday in Florida, involved a potential assassination attempt on Trump, according to the FBI. Both the Trump campaign and law enforcement reported that the former president was unharmed.
The US Secret Service confirmed that its agents "opened fire on a gunman" near the boundary of Trump's golf course. They recovered an "AK-47 style rifle" with a scope and a GoPro video camera from the scene.
Responding to a post on X that asked, "Why they want to kill Donald Trump?", Musk commented, "And no one is even trying to assassinate Biden/Kamala." Musk, who supports Trump, made this statement as the former president is set to face Vice President Harris in the upcoming November election.
His comment quickly drew criticism from users who labeled it as "irresponsible" and "dangerous." One user advised Musk to seek help, while others questioned whether he thought before posting such remarks.
Meanwhile, authorities have yet to confirm if the suspect, identified as Ryan Wesley Routh, fired a weapon at Trump. The Secret Service agents who responded to the scene fired at Routh, who was hiding in the bushes. Rafael Barros of the Secret Service stated, "We are not sure right now if the individual was able to take a shot at our agents."
The FBI is investigating the situation as an attempted assassination of Trump. Officials have commended the Secret Service for its prompt action, especially given recent criticism over its failure to prevent a shooting at Trump in Pennsylvania.
