Elon Musk threatens to sue Democrat Jamaal Bowman after calling him a ‘Nazi’ and ‘thief’ during a TV interview

Elon Musk, the tech mogul and head of the DOGE in President Donald Trump's administration, has announced his intention to take legal action after the former Democratic New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman called him a "nazi" and a "thief" during an appearance on CNN on Friday.

Musk reacted on his X account, where he wrote: "I’ve had enough. Lawsuit inbound," in response to a clip from the CNN roundtable in which Bowman launched his criticism.

Bowman, a former member of 'The Squad' in the House of Representatives, claimed on the program that "American people do not trust Elon Musk and Elon Musk is incompetent in his position."

His statements focused on the mass layoffs at Musk's companies, such as Tesla and Twitter (now X), which he said were reversed by court orders.

“They fired tens of thousands of people, was challenged in court. The court said the people have to go back, and now the people are coming back." Bowman finished off his remarks with harsh words, "he's incompetent. He's a thief. He's a Nazi. And people don't trust him.”

Reactions supporting Musk

Musk's threat to sue has generated widespread support among conservatives.

Senator Mike Lee, R-Utah, expressed on X: “Sue him! Defamation against conservatives can’t go unaddressed or it will never end.”

For her part, Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina also supported the action with an emphatic "Fight back!"

Journalist Andy Ngo, known for his coverage of political violence and his own experience as a victim of assaults by Antifa protesters in 2019, also chimed in, noting:

“Accusing people of crimes is not protected opinion. CNN is putting itself at risk of liability for bringing on guests who repeat potentially defamatory claims unchallenged.”

Not the first time

Since Musk agreed to collaborate with the new Republican administration, he has received a series of verbal attacks from various media outlets and Democrats.

Certain media previously accused Musk of making a "Nazi salute"during a speech at President Donald Trump's inaugural event, a narrative that was amplified by some commentators and that led Musk's mother, Maye Musk, to urge her son to sue CNN and other media outlets for defamation, as Fox News reported at the time.

However, the list goes on. Other Democrats, such as Representative Ayanna Pressley of Massachusetts, also part of "The Squad," have used language similar to that expressed by both the media and Bowman.

In that regard, in February, Pressley called Musk a "nazi nepo baby," a derogatory reference to his inherited wealth and political influence.

These accusations reflect a growing polarization around the figure of Musk and his companies, such as Tesla. The head of the DOGE has become a frequent target of the US left because of his closeness to Trump and his conservative stances on issues such as government regulation to save state money and illegal immigration.