Anatomy of a Character Assassination

Is Elon Musk an anti-semite?

If you look at CNN, The New York Times, The Washington Post, AP News, MSNBC, CBS News, or just about any other news Web site you’ll see headlines like this.

  • X Races to Contain Damage After Elon Musk Endorses Antisemitic Post
  • White House Joins Threads as X Owner Elon Musk Faces Backlash Over Antisemitic Embrace
  • Disney, Apple among major companies to pull business from X after Elon Musk’s antisemitic post

My heavens! If all of these trusted sources say that Musk endorses, no embraces antisemitism, then it MUST be true, right?

Let’s take a look.

How it all began

Here’s how it all started.

1. On November 15, 2023 at 2:14 PM Eastern time, Charles Weber (@CWBOCA) Tweeted a video created by an organization called Stand Up to Jewish Hate.

Stand Up to Jewish Hate is a campaign set up by The Foundation to Combat Antisemitism (FCAS).

This video campaign actually dates back to March, but Charles Weber chose to post it again, perhaps in response to the growing amount of anti-Jewish sentiment during the war in Gaza.

For those of you who haven’t watched the video, It depicts a father chastising his teenage son for posting “Hitler was Right” onto social media, and challenging his son to get out of the car and to tell it to a group of Jewish people to their faces. A sobering end title frame displays the words, “‘Hitler was right’ was posted over 70,000 times last year.”

It’s a powerful message (if a tad disingenuous, which I cover in this post).

Charles Weber, who is Jewish, challenges anyone who posts “Hitler was right” to speak up without hiding behind an anonymous account.

Before we go on, take a close look at the imagery in the video.

  • The father is a white, middle aged man driving a pickup truck.
  • The teenage son is white and dressed as a “typical white kid” with a ski cap.
  • The town depicted in the scenery depicts a small, rural town.
  • On the YouTube channel for FCAS, there’s also a video of a white woman ignoring racist graffiti, and a group of black women supporting a Jewish boy who’s being bullied. There are zero depictions of white, non-Jewish people standing up against Jewish hate.

This context is going to be very important to remember.

2. An hour and a half later, at 3:49 PM Eastern Time, The Artist Formerly Known as Eric (@breakingbaht) Tweets a reply.

I’m going to refer to “The Artist Formerly Known as Eric” as “Eric” for the rest of this article.

At first glance it looks like Eric is responding directly to Charles’s challenge. But he’s not. He may not even have read the part that said “To the cowards hiding behind the anonymity of the internet and posting “Hitler was right”.

He HAS viewed the video and he sees that the FCAS has chosen to portray antisemitism using actors playing white people in small town America. And he’s clearly pissed.

So when he sees the second part of Charles’s message: “You got something you want to say? Why don’t you say it to our faces”, he responds. “Okay.”

His Tweet isn’t exactly the easiest Tweet in the world to read, but this is essentially what he’s saying:

After years of Jewish groups that espouse far-left progressive politics (like the ADL) portraying me (a white American) as the image of the person to hate, it is hard for me (as a white American) to sympathize when non-Whites (like pro-Palestinian protestors) attack them.

Does Eric make a valid point? Yes and no.

His use of phrases like “Jewish communities”, “western Jewish populations” and “domestic Jews” is sloppy. As Ben Shapiro said on his radio show there is a large segment of the Jewish population in the United States that does NOT subscribe to progressivism.

But have progressive liberal groups like the ADL supported lax immigration policies that may allow more people who wish to harm Jews to enter the United States? Of course they have.

Once this post went viral, Eric gained a number of new followers. This is what he told them.

Hundreds of news outlets all over have labeled Eric an “anti-Semite” without the slightest bit of critical thought or examination of his account.

Anyone who takes the time to read this guy’s previous posts can see clearly that he’s not an “anti-Semite”. He doesn’t “hate Jews”, he just has an opinion about certain members of the Jewish community that embrace leftist activism.

3. Here’s where the **** hit the fan. An hour later at 4:52 PM Eastern Time, Elon Musk (@elonmusk) Tweeted the following.

As with Eric, Elon Musk was NOT reacting to Charles’s “Hitler was Right” challenge in the original post.

Rather, he was agreeing with Eric’s commentary of how unjust it is for groups like the ADL to stigmatize the West (a.k.a. “white people”) when in actuality the vast majority of them (himself included) support the Jewish people and Israel.

For context, remember that the ADL had been going to advertisers directly to push for a boycott of X since November 2022. Musk reported that X lost 60% of its advertising revenue as a result of the ADL directly pressuring advertisers.

“You have spoken the truth” was in many ways just as much a response to the pressure that the ADL has been putting on him for over year than anything else.

4. Perhaps sensing trouble, Elon tweeted a clarification to make this point clear.

Of course, no amount of clarification would help at this point.

The vast majority of people who have opinions on this thread have never read it. They rely on others to tell them what it says and what it means.

I spent the better part of two hours reading and re-reading the thread to make sure I understood the full context and meaning behind every word.

Since it started taking down conservative talk-show hosts in 2009, Media Matters has perfected the art of character assassination. They spend hundreds of hours monitoring every word of the person they wish to attack. When they find one statement that can be twisted out of context, they come up with a lie, send out a press release, and sit back as the “authoritative” media spread it around the world.

The Truth: This Thread was About Progressive Attitudes Towards Immigration

As for me, I spent the better part of two hours reading and re-reading the thread to make sure I understood the full context and meaning behind every word.

Here’s what really happened.

  1. Charles challenged people reading his thread to say “Hitler was Right” to his face.
  2. Eric ignored this challenge and instead complained about those who denigrated “white people” but supported immigration policies that allowed anti-Semites in.
  3. Elon agreed, specifically with the ADL in mind.

What happened next was the standard Media Matters blueprint. Sharyl Attkisson wrote about it in her excellent book The Smear. It all started with three words.

The Lie: “Hordes of Minorities”

In this case, the one statement that Media Matters pounced on wasn’t even spoken by Elon Musk. It was the use of the phrase “hordes of minorities” that Eric used.

Remember the context of this phrase. After seeing the angry crowds of pro-Palestinian protestors flooding every major city in the United States, Eric chastises Jewish groups like the ADL who have advocated allowing such people (“hordes of minorities”) into the country, only to have them turn against them.

1. At 5:05 PM — thirteen minutes after Musk’s Tweet — Yair Rosenberg of The Atlantic posts a Tweet stating “This is literally the conspiracy theory espoused by the white supremacist who massacred the Pittsburgh Tree of Life Synagogue. Musk approves.”

He follows this by saying “I have no further commentary”.

What in the world is he referring to?

Well, it turns out the Tree of Life killer subscribed to a nutty conspiracy theory called “The Great Replacement Theory”, which speculated that “the Jews” favored an influx of non-white people to enter the country so that they could “replace” the “white race”. I say it’s nutty because almost every Jewish person I know happens to be white.

Let’s look carefully at what happened. Rosenberg took the three-word phrase “hordes of minorities” and somehow tied it to the Tree of Life killer (who, incidentally, never even used that phrase himself).

The context for the phrase, as Eric used it, was the OPPOSITE of what the Tree of Life killer espoused.

Do you see notice something odd here? The context for the phrase, as Eric used it, was the OPPOSITE of what the Tree of Life killer espoused.

  • The Tree of Life killer denounced all Jews for supposedly intentionally allowing minorities to enter the country with the purpose of hurting white people.
  • Eric’s post rebuked progressive Jews who unintentionally allowed minorities to enter the country who wanted to hurt Jews.

ANYONE who is intellectually honest can clearly see that these are two completely different sentiments. But that doesn’t matter to Media Matters. Their goal is to take three words, manufacture them into a lie, and trust that the American people are too lazy and stupid to look into it.

2. A few comments down, @BenjaminMerchin adds his opinion suggesting that this had nothing to do with the Tree of Life guy, it was talking about Jewish groups who allowing people into the country who hate them…

This is where Media Matter’s useful idiots come in. His comment gets mocked, mostly with ad-hominem statements (“Don’t neglect Elon’s balls while you’re down there”. “Blue checkmark c**t”. “Keep paying for Twitter dumbass”) or statements that either foolishly or intentionally miss the point (“he agreed with a racist about Jews hating whites”, “he walks back to his original heinous position”).

And then Merchin’s comment got buried. As of this writing it has 7,579 views compared to the 3.2 million views (and counting) that Rosenberg’s original Tweet has.

3. Enter Media Matters.

They rush in within two hours and publish this piece that codifies the false narrative that clarify that the use of the phrase “hordes of minorities” was a direct reference to the Tree of Life killer.

4. Now that Rosenberg had his angle, it was time for him to finally provide “further commentary”.

He wrote this piece on the Atlantic called “Elon Musk’s Disturbing Truth”.

Read this article carefully. It mentions the Tweet thread. It mentions the Tree of Life killer. But it doesn’t even attempt to try to prove a connection between the two. It simply juxtaposes them, and relies on his readers to accept his premise without question. They do.

5. Over the next week, over 300 more articles are published, most of them based on the Media Matters release and most of them reinforcing the false narrative that…

  • Elon Musk’s five-word Tweet agreeing with a Tweet that contained the words “hordes of minorities” was a full-throated endorsement of the lunatic replacement theories of the Tree of Life killer.
  • This is definitive proof of Elon Musk’s white supremacist leanings.

This is how news is manufactured and spread. It’s how it’s worked for years.

The Fourth Estate Goes to Work

CBS News, in its mission statement, says that it is “dedicated to providing the highest quality journalism under standards it pioneered and continues to set in today’s digital age”. The New York Times begins its mission statement by saying “We seek the truth and help people understand the world”. CNN’s mission statement says, “We are truth-seekers and storytellers.”

Why did I pick these three news outlets? Because these are three of the highest rated news agencies by NewsGuard, the service that Google uses to determine which news sites may be ranked for Google News and Google Organic results. Specifically, CNN gets a 80/100, CBS News gets a 90/100, and the New York Times gets a 100/100.

So did they cover this story seeking the truth and adhering to the highest standards of journalism?

CBS News

If you logged on to the CBS News Web site in the days following the Tweet exchange, here is the headline you would have seen:

11–19–23 — DeSantis refuses to condemn Elon Musk for endorsing antisemitic conspiracy theory
The Florida governor first told CNN’s Jake Tapper he did not see the comment, which Musk responded to on X Wednesday, but said Musk has had a target on his back ever since purchasing the platform.

This headline is something that podcaster Scott Adams refers to as “thinking past the sale”. You’re so fixated on the question of what DeSantis said about Musk’s Tweet that you don’t question that Elon Musk endorsed an “antisemitic conspiracy theory”.

The New York Times

Let’s turn next to the Old Gray Lady. They have a 100/100 NewsGuard score, so surely they will seek the truth and help us understand the world, right?

All of the articles of the New York Times were written by a handful of reporters. Ryan Mac and Kate Conger being the most prolific among them.

Here’s what you would have seen.

11/16 — X Races to Contain Damage After Elon Musk Endorses Antisemitic Post
IBM, a major advertiser on X, has pulled its spending from the social media platform, whose employees are grappling with what to tell its other advertisers, according to internal messages. By RYAN MAC

11/17 — White House Condemns Elon Musk for Spreading ‘Antisemitic and Racist Hate’
The tech entrepreneur had endorsed a social media post that echoed the conspiracy theory that had fueled the Tree of Life synagogue killer in 2018. By LISA FRIEDMAN and RYAN MAC

11/17 — Advertisers Flee X as Outcry Over Musk’s Endorsement of Antisemitic Post Grows
Disney, Apple, Paramount and Lionsgate halted marketing on X, formerly Twitter, as Elon Musk faced a furor over antisemitic abuse on his social media platform. By RYAN MAC, BROOKS BARNES and TIFFANY HSU

11/18 — More Advertisers Halt Spending on X in Growing Backlash Against Musk
Warner Bros. Discovery and Sony have joined other companies in pausing spending on X, formerly Twitter, over Elon Musk’s endorsement of an antisemitic post. BY KATE CONGER AND TIFFANY HSU

Notice how the lie is repeated over and over again as established fact. “Elon Musk endorses antisemitic post”.

Notice also that the name of reporter “Ryan Mac” seems to come up again and again. If you view Ryan Mac’s Tweets you’ll see that he has somewhat of an…unhealthy obsession with Musk. This all began in 2018 when Mac worked for Buzzfeed News, posted one of their typical muckraking articles about Musk, and was subsequently blocked. Is this really the person that The New York Times believes can “cover the news impartially, without fear or favor”?

CNN

Look at what you would have seen on CNN.com if you visited in the days following this incident.

11–17–23–11:46a — Elon Musk agrees with antisemitic X post that claims Jews ‘push hatred’ against White people — David Goldman

11–18–23–11:38a — Major advertisers flee X, deepening crisis at Elon Musk’s social media site — Brian Fung, Claire Duffy, Samantha Delouya

11–20–23–5:19p — White House joins Threads as X owner Elon Musk faces backlash over antisemitic embrace — Claire Duffy and Oliver Darcy

11–20–23–10:02pm — Ad execs encourage X CEO Linda Yaccarino to quit after Elon Musk’s antisemitic embrace — Claire Duffy and Oliver Darcy

11–21–23–7:21a — Here are six important questions as Elon Musk faces an ever-deepening crisis over his unhinged behavior — Oliver Darcy

11–21–23–7:31a — It’s ‘pathological’ for brands to advertise on Elon Musk’s X, Yale professor says — Matt Egan

11–21–23–3:43p — NFL denounces hate speech, says it has expressed concerns to Elon Musk’s X — Oliver Darcy

11–21–23–6:42p — Paris Hilton’s media company suspends ads on X, one month after agreeing to touted partnership with the platform — Liam Reilly and Claire Duffy

CNN is all-in as far as spreading the falsehood that Elon Musk “embraced” anti-Semitism.

What Prominent Jewish Users on X Say About Musk

As the attacks from the media on Elon Musk progressed, hundreds of people of Jewish descent chimed in to express support for Elon Musk. Here is just a small sample.

  • I never observed a trace of antisemitism. Elon cares deeply about all humanity. – Sam Teller – Elon Musk’s chief of staff for 5 years
  • Musk is not an anti-Semite. Yoram Hazony – Conservative Author and Host
  • Elon Musk is not an antisemite. Bill Ackman – CEO
  • This whole Elon Musk is antisemitic thing is nonsense and a distraction. Dan Murray Serter – Investor
  • I am absolutely disgusted by this Orweillian lying going on about Elon Musk. Rachel Alexander – Reporter
  • As a Jewish man I have never once thought that you were even remotely close to an antisemite. Brian Krassenstein – Producer
  • You are not an anti-Semite – Gad Saad – Professor
  • I appreciate Elon Musk’s steadfast stance against Hamas supporters – Amichai Chikli – Israel’s Minister for Combating Anti-Semitism
  • As a Jewish woman, it’s upsetting to see the term weaponized – Ashley St. Clair – Journalist
  • As a Jewish person, I don’t think you’re antisemitic – Elad Simchayoff – Reporter
  • We see what you’re doing and appreciate it. Konstantin Kisin – Podcaster
  • Never answer to the mob. Amy Mek – Journalist
  • Keep up the great work, Elon! Dr. Eli David – Researcher
  • Musk was reading the term “Jewish Communities” and instead seeing the letters “ADL” – Ben Shapiro – Radio host

I could go on. It was like the last scene in It’s a Wonderful Life.

An objective and intellectually honest media would have see the outpouring of support from many parts of the Jewish community, including the top government official in Israel in charge of fighting antisemitism.

But instead, they ignored them. Channeling Joe Biden, their attitude is clearly “If you don’t hate Elon Musk, you ain’t a Jew”.

What Google Says About Musk

A few days later I checked Google News, simply typing in “Elon Musk”. Notice that the first thing you see associated with Musk is the word “Nazism”.

This wasn’t even about news coverage of the November 15 Tweet. Rather, somehow a story about an obscure defamation lawsuit that some college kid filed over an incident that supposedly happened back in June was front-page news again.

But this isn’t the most chilling thing that I saw from Google.

I went to Google Bard and asked a simple question: Is Elon Musk an Anti-Semite?

Google Bard’s first answer was no. But when I asked it to reconsider based on the events of November 2023, Google Bard chillingly said, “Given the evidence, I would now say that it is likely that Elon Musk is anti-Semitic”.

Here, you can see that the character assassination is complete.

Google, as Google always does, will hide behind “The Algorithm”. It will say — with absolute irreproachability— that no human Google employee interfered with this answer. No, its superior AI came up with it based on all the evidence it found from the sources it was trained on. And AI doesn’t lie.

The problem, of course, is that Google Bard, as with Google News and Google Organic Search, is being limited only to news sites that NewsGuard deems are “reliable”.

Despite their “scores” of 80/100, 90/100, and 100/100, do you think that ANY of the sources I mentioned above are even close to “reliable”? I don’t have the time to tell you about all the other news outlets that Google deems as “reliable” such as the Washington Post, MSNBC, Wired, Bloomberg, Business Insider, The New Yorker and so on. But look for yourself and you’ll see all the patterns of behavior I mentioned above—and worse.

The Most Chilling Thing of All

Media Matters took three words and used the full power of the media to assassinate Elon Musk’s character. Regardless of whatever steps that Musk takes, there is a segment of the population that will believe he is an anti-Semite for the rest of time.

Last week, Governor Gavin Newsom of California and Governor Kathy Hochul of New York have already mandated “media literacy” training for kids from K-12.

If you live in California or New York, who is going to be given millions of our tax dollars to provide this “training” and this “curriculum”? NewsGuard, of course. In other words, we will be paying for our children to get indoctrinated.

If you don’t live in California or New York, remember that it’s these two states that drive curriculums in every other state, and ultimately at the Federal level.

If you’re a parent, this should chill you to the bone.

Conclusion

Year ago, there used to be something called “journalism”. For a story like this one, a reporter would do everything in his power to seek out the truth, with no agenda and no ulterior motives.

Why is it that NO reporter of any major media outlet has taken the time to uncover these basic facts?

  • The original Tweet by Eric did not convey “hatred of Jews”, but rather the differences in his political beliefs between himself and progressives?
  • Elon Musk’s Tweet was directed towards groups that push a progressive agenda trying to get X shut down.
  • There was ZERO connection whatsoever between Eric’s use of the phrase “hordes of minorities” and the Tree of Life killer?

Why was the only guy who even thought to look into the truth was some unemployed middle-aged schlub writing on a blog that no one will ever read?

Even worse than the hit job on Elon Musk’s character, think about the questions that a HEALTHY media could have asked that arose out of this conversation?

  • Do Jewish citizens of America face an outsized threat from people with anti-Jewish sentiment entering the United States?
  • What does anti-Semitism really look like on social media? Who is really behind it?
  • Should “hate speech” be banned from all social media platforms? Or is there some value to allowing it? What are the limits?
  • What responsibilities do owners of social media sites like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg have?
  • What is “media literacy”? Is it indoctrinating children to seek information only from “trusted sources”? Or is it teaching children how to think critically and with an open mind?

Instead of engaging in these important conversations the “journalists” chase one story to try to destroy one man. Their malpractice doesn’t just hurt one man, it hurts our children. And it must stop.