Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX and the owner of X (formerly Twitter), has used the microblogging platform to spread misinformation on various aspects.
In the recent past, ever since Trump's victory in November, Musk has only been emboldened further. In addition, Musk has also been bestowed with additional, 'invisible' power through the immense influence he has in the Trump Administration. All of this, while not officially holding any office.
Musk Spreads Misinformation
Musk in another post on the social media platform he bought for USD 44 billion has tried to spread misinformation. His ire in this case is directed at USAID.
In a post, Musk said, "Did you know that USAID, using YOUR tax dollars, funded bioweapon research, including COVID-19, that killed millions of people?"
This comes at a time, when the US administration under Donald Trump has halted the important USAID, a system that gives foreign aid to various countries around the world, during a time of crisis, a week ago.
Did you know that USAID, using YOUR tax dollars, funded bioweapon research, including COVID-19, that killed millions of people? https://t.co/YVwyKA7ifs
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 2, 2025
USAID Halted
This move has gotten backlash from various corners. This comes at a time, when many nations, in the Global East/ South and across the globe are struggling due to armed conflict. This includes territories like Gaza in Palestine, Sudan, Congo and the Sahel region in Africa.
Musk's claims that the Covid-19 virus and the pandemic that followed is a bioweapon is something that has been underscored by many in the Republican party.
These claims have been dismissed by agencies that have investigated into the allegations.
China, the origin of the COVID-19 virus itself saw the deaths of 1,22,398 individuals.
USAID funneled $53 million to EcoHealth Alliance, which then used U.S. taxpayer funds to support gain-of-function research on coronaviruses at the Wuhan lab—research that likely led to the creation of COVID-19.
— KanekoaTheGreat (@KanekoaTheGreat) February 2, 2025
The CIA’s deception regarding COVID-19 origins becomes much clearer… pic.twitter.com/mrgosgo4PH
Musk was reacting to another post, which said the following, "USAID funneled $53 million to EcoHealth Alliance, which then used U.S. taxpayer funds to support gain-of-function research on coronaviruses at the Wuhan lab—research that likely led to the creation of COVID-19.
In addition, the stoppage of USAID has further jeopardised many, living on the edge. The USAID had a total budget of around USD 50 billion in 2023.