Over the weekend, Vice President Kamala Harris’ campaign reacted to tech mogul Elon Musk sharing a fabricated ad about the presumptive Democratic nominee on social media.
Following President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from the race and his endorsement of Harris after a tumultuous period within the Democratic party, Elon Musk, owner of X (previously Twitter), shared an altered version of Harris’ “Freedom” ad on Friday night. Musk’s post garnered 119 million views by Sunday afternoon.
The fake ad, with altered audio and video, contained a controversial statement: “I was selected because I am the ultimate diversity hire. I’m both a woman and a person of color, so if you criticize anything I say, you’re both sexist and racist.”
In response, the Harris campaign issued a statement on Saturday asserting that the American people seek genuine freedoms, opportunities, and security championed by Vice President Harris, rather than the fabricated narratives of Elon Musk and former President Donald Trump.
Harris campaign on @elonmusk sharing this video with fake audio of VP:
“We believe the American people want the real freedom, opportunity, and security Vice President Harris is offering; not the fake, manipulated lies of Elon Musk and Donald Trump.” https://t.co/5IHpIG1UYP
— Donie O’Sullivan (@donie) July 28, 2024
Elon Musk, a supporter of Trump and a critic of DEI programs, which promote workplace inclusivity, has been known to view such initiatives with skepticism. Harris, despite her accomplished background before running with Biden in 2020, has been unfairly characterized as a DEI candidate by conservative media.
Prior to her vice presidential nomination, Harris had a successful career as a U.S. senator from California and a top prosecutor in the state.
The original “Freedom” ad featuring Beyoncé’s song contrasts Harris with Trump, portraying a message of unity and progress. The video showcases Trump and his running mate, Ohio Senator JD Vance, followed by Harris affirming the choice for freedom and safety from violence and autonomy over one’s body.
The fake ad shared by Musk originated from user Mr. Reagan, who identified it as a parody. Surprisingly, Musk did not make this disclaimer, seemingly violating the policies of his own company, X, which prohibit the dissemination of misleading or manipulated content.
