The US Secret Service says it’s “conscious” of a social media put up by Elon Musk during which he stated that “nobody is even attempting” to assassinate President Joe Biden or Vice-President Kamala Harris.
Mr Musk has since deleted the put up and stated it was supposed as a joke.
His put up on X, previously Twitter, got here simply hours after the suspected tried assassination of Donald Trump at his golf course in Florida on Sunday.
The tech billionaire is an in depth ally of Trump, who has vowed to enlist Mr Musk to run a “authorities effectivity fee” if he wins a second time period as US president.
Many X customers criticised Mr Musk’s feedback – which have been accompanied by a raised eyebrow emoji – with some alleging that the put up was a type of incitement towards the US president and vice-president.
In an announcement, the White Home condemned the put up, saying that “this rhetoric is irresponsible”.
“Violence ought to solely be condemned, by no means inspired or joked about,” the assertion stated, including that there must be “no place for political violence or for any violence ever in our nation”.
When contacted by the BBC, the US Secret Service stated solely that it’s “conscious” of the put up.
“As a matter of follow we don’t touch upon issues involving protecting intelligence,” the assertion added. “We will say, nonetheless, that the Secret Service investigates all threats associated to our protectees.”
After deleting the put up, Mr Musk tweeted that “one lesson I’ve realized is that simply because I say one thing to a gaggle and so they giggle does not imply it is going to be all that hilarious as a put up on X.”
“Seems that jokes are method much less humorous if individuals do not know the context and the supply is in plain textual content,” a subsequent put up learn.
The controversial tech mogul is taken into account an in depth ally of Trump and formally endorsed him within the aftermath of a separate assassination try towards the previous president that happened at a rally on 13 July in Butler, Pennsylvania.
In that try, the suspect fired a number of rounds, injuring Trump and killing an attendee on the rally.
Since then, Mr Musk has typically tweeted or re-posted messages important of each Biden and Harris and in help of Trump.