Elon Musk called for the Southern Poverty Law Center to be shut down early Thursday, accusing it of spreading hate.
“The SPLC is an evil organization that spreads hate propaganda relentlessly,” Musk, the owner of X, Tesla, and SpaceX, and a former adviser to President Donald Trump, posted on X. “It needs to be shut down.”
The post was in response to a link shared by political commentator Mike Cernovich, who had reacted to news that the FBI had cut ties with the Anti-Defamation League, a Jewish group that tracks antisemitism.
Republicans have criticized the ADL for including slain conservative leader Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA in its glossary on extremism.
“Is the SPLC involved at all with the FBI?” Cernovich wrote. “The SPLC incited a mass shooting against a Christian group, the Family Research Council, and provides a ‘hit list’ for terrorists. Now would be a good time to clean house fully.”
Musk’s remarks are the latest in a string of public attacks he has aimed at the SPLC, a progressive advocacy organization he has described as politically biased, according to The Washington Examiner.
In May, the SPLC listed Turning Point USA in its annual “Year in Hate and Extremism Report,” describing the conservative youth group as “well-funded” and linked to far-right extremists. The report emphasized the group’s influence in conservative politics.
Kirk condemned the designation, writing on X that the SPLC had smeared his group by placing it “right next to the KKK and neo-Nazis.” He accused the organization of exploiting donors and labeled it “a racket.” Musk echoed the criticism at the time, calling the SPLC a “scam organization.”
Months earlier, in November 2024, Musk also denounced the SPLC after Seth Dillon, CEO of the satirical outlet The Babylon Bee, claimed the group planned to release a report identifying members of his staff. Musk responded by posting that the SPLC was “a criminal organization imo [in my opinion].”
The SPLC has defended its work, saying its reports and hate group listings are intended to track extremism and protect communities.
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