Elon Musk’s Disturbing Racial Dog Whistles: A Strategy to Win Over Tucker Carlson?

Elon Musk, known for his groundbreaking work in technology and space exploration, recently engaged in a series of Twitter exchanges that appeared to amplify racist dog whistles. This comes at the same time as reports that Musk has been in talks with recently fired Fox News host Tucker Carlson about bringing his show to Musk’s platform.

Musk retweeted misleading graphics that seemed to promote a false narrative about Black-on-white crime, in addition to responding with “interesting” to a tweet that reads, “Blacks kill each other. Whites kill themselves.” Musk’s replies also highlighted cases of Black people killing white people that supposedly went unnoticed, despite being covered by local and national media.

This type of rhetoric has a long and disturbing history in American politics, with figures like Richard Nixon and George H.W. Bush exploiting racial animosity for political gain. Contemporary white nationalists like Nick Fuentes continue to use these tactics today.

Musk’s recent tweets raise questions about his intentions, particularly in light of his talks with Tucker Carlson, who has a history of promoting white supremacist views and serving as a bridge between the far right and the mainstream. Could Musk be trying to win over Carlson by adopting a more hardline stance on race and crime?

While it’s unclear whether Musk’s tweets were a calculated move to woo Carlson or simply a reflection of his own beliefs, they certainly raise red flags about his commitment to social justice and equality. As progressive readers of The Young Turks, we must continue to call out and challenge racism and bigotry wherever we see it, even when it comes from influential figures like Elon Musk.