Elon Musk took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to call out Vice President Kamala Harris for allegedly lying about former President Donald Trump’s stance on a national abortion ban. Harris had claimed in a post that Trump would enforce a nationwide abortion ban, which Musk and community notes on the platform disputed.
Harris’s post on X asserted that Trump intended to ban abortion across the United States, prompting a swift fact-check from the platform. The community note attached to her post clarified that Trump has repeatedly stated he would not sign such a ban, preferring to leave the decision to individual states.
Musk reposted Harris’s statement, questioning the integrity of political communications on social media: “When will politicians, or at least the intern who runs their account, learn that lying on this platform doesn’t work anymore?”
In reality, Trump has taken a clear stance on the issue, emphasizing that the regulation of abortion should be determined by the states. During a recent debate, he highlighted his role in appointing three Supreme Court justices who contributed to the overturning of Roe v. Wade, thus decentralizing the regulation of abortion. Trump has expressed that he believes abortion should be permissible in instances of rape, incest, and to protect the mother’s life.
President Biden, in contrast, has promised to reinstate Roe v. Wade if re-elected, criticizing the idea of leaving abortion laws to individual states as reminiscent of decentralized civil rights regulations.
The Biden-Harris campaign has been vocal about attributing the rollback of reproductive rights to Trump, citing his appointment of conservative justices as a crucial factor. Harris has spearheaded this narrative, although the final decision to overturn Roe v. Wade was made by the Supreme Court.
Responding to Musk’s intervention, the Biden-Harris campaign issued a statement accusing Musk of using his platform to spread falsehoods and hinting at his possible involvement in a future Trump administration. The campaign’s press release underscored the ongoing tension between political narratives and the role of social media in shaping public perception.
