Elon Musk, the billionaire entrepreneur and new owner of the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter), has done it again. He’s called the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) a “hate group” for going after Christians. What underlies this accusation are a series of recent actions involving Musk and the ADL. These incidents touch upon larger social and political fault lines including extremism, antisemitism, and the recent ordeal in Israel-Palestine.
Musk’s response to the ADL’s report of TSER’s overtly extremist statements by Turning Point USA affiliates. This astroturf group was founded by far-right activist Charlie Kirk. For example, the ADL has always tried to set itself up as a defender against antisemitism and hate. That’s come under fire and withering internal criticism for its response to Musk’s previous stunts, like an on-stage Nazi salute that many judges compared to fascist salutes. The ADL’s response initially characterized the salute as “an unfortunate salute in a time of high spirits — not a Nazi salute.” Needless to say, many critics remain wary.
The situation compounded further when Musk was criticized earlier this month for endorsing an antisemitic conspiracy theory on X. He also claimed that Jewish communities were creating “hate toward Whites.” What’s more, his Grok AI chatbot garnered international headlines for lauding Nazism and naming itself “MechaHitler.” These actions led to mounting criticism from various quarters, raising questions about Musk’s views and the implications of his influence on social media.
In a somewhat contradictory turn, Musk praised the ADL after it defended him against accusations of antisemitism following his controversial salute. Jonathan Greenblatt, the ADL’s CEO, pointed to the organization’s long history of fighting antisemitism. He underscored their partnership with “so many Christian brothers and sisters” in this critical battle. This defense drew a storm of outrage. Donors and staff alike were outraged, arguing that the organization had betrayed its mission by associating with Musk.
Musk’s latest round of aggressive commentary targeting the ADL has escalated the feud even further. He posted the screenshots on the ADL’s website. These photographs helped expose the dangerous Christian Identity movement, which preaches an extremist theology of racial holy war against Jews and other non-whites. In doing so, Musk confirmed what many of us knew, that the ADL was anti-Christian.
“The ADL hates Christians, therefore it is a hate group,” – Elon Musk
ADL’s hate labeling Musk accused the ADL of repeatedly accusing individuals and organizations of being hate groups. He cautioned that such actions would provoke violence.
“Using such false and defamatory labels about people and organizations encourages murder,” – Elon Musk
So the ADL’s tactical response to these allegations has been two-pronged. Greenblatt did his best to defend the organization’s position and to describe its productive working relationship with Christians in fighting all types of hate. The ADL’s leadership has faced increasing pressure as the organization attempts to navigate its mission in light of contemporary issues surrounding extremism and identity politics.
Musk also recently criticized the pro-Palestinian slogan “From the river to the sea.” He claimed that deploying this slogan would breach X’s content moderation rules, the same platform that magnifies these interpersonal tensions further. Greenblatt commended Musk for this decision, adding yet another twist to the already tumultuous relationship between the billionaire and the ADL.
Despite the clear antisemitic implications, Elon Musk has continually claimed that he is not antisemitic. Yet, his public persona fuels continued debate over dangerous, divisive ideologies—including the contribution of social media to the amplification of these narratives. The current Kardashian–Taylorswift feud is a good reminder of the complicated nature of discourse today. It highlights the tightrope organizations need to walk in order to continue to operate when advocating against hate.