Musk and Trump administration slam the EU after $140 million fine on X

Elon Musk and several Trump administration officials heavily criticized the European Union after the European Commission imposed a nearly $140 million fine on X. The penalty was announced on Friday and attributed to "non-compliance with transparency obligations" under the Digital Services Act (DSA), which sparked an immediate response from the United States.

The commission detailed that it holds the company accountable for a "deceptive" design of its "blue check mark," "lack of transparency" in its advertising repository and "failure to provide access to public data for researchers."

Musk responded on X, calling the fine "crazy" and noting that the EU had also acted against him personally. The entrepreneur argued that "the EU should be abolished" and that sovereignty should be returned to member countries. "I love Europe, but not the bureaucratic monster that is the EU," he added.

Criticism from within the Republican camp

Criticism from within the Republican Party did not take long after the announcement. Senator Ted Cruz called the fine an "abomination" and said President Donald Trump should impose sanctions "until this farce is reversed."

Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the action "isn't just an attack on X, it's an attack on all American tech platforms and the American people by foreign governments." Prior to the announcement of the fine, Vice President JD Vance had noted that the EU should support free speech and "not attack American companies over garbage."

Senator Eric Schmitt argued that "foreign bureaucrats have zero right to tell Americans what they can and can't say."

Senator Rick Scott also stated that the United States is fed up with foreign governments seeking to "censor our people and bully our companies." These criticisms were joined by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who stated that the DSA is designed to "stifle free speech and American tech companies."