Elon Musk and Donald Trump’s bromance may have started for political reasons, but the pair have quite a few similarities, including constant engagement with their critics online. As the owner of X (formerly known as Twitter), Musk’s influence on the platform is undeniable. Not only is he the most-followed person, but he can also remove users’ blue verification check marks. Additionally, he’s known to use his online clout for petty feuds.
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One viral example of this happened when Musk boasted about being one of the world’s top video game players of “Path of Exile 2.” Expert gamers were skeptical of the claim, particularly because Musk seemed unfamiliar with basic game mechanics. They speculated Musk may have hired someone else to play on his account and level him up. When popular streamer Zack “Asmongold” Hoyt challenged Musk to play him and prove who the true master was, Musk did not handle it well. He unfollowed Asmongold on X, and the gamer’s blue check mark was mysteriously removed (though it has since been reinstated). In another childish move, Musk posted private messages between himself and Asmongold on X.
This behavior might seem familiar to anyone who follows Donald Trump on social media. The president can be just as petty, if not more so. Reports show that between November 2022 and March 2024, Trump posted 570 direct insults targeting those who criticized him. Like Musk, Trump can’t hide his delicate ego, and he has a history of banning his critics from his platform, Truth Social.
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Musk has a pattern of social media fights
Elon Musk’s social media feuds go well beyond gaming. When Musk defended the H-1B visa program, which allows U.S. companies to hire highly skilled foreign professionals, many Trump supporters took issue with his stance. It wasn’t long before he was locked in a debate with far-right activist Laura Loomer and other conservatives. After challenging Musk, Loomer and 53 other conservatives claimed the verification badges were removed from their X accounts. Outraged, Loomer accused Musk of restricting her freedom of speech, but Musk dismissed her claims, responding on X, “Loomer is trolling for attention.”
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Musk’s history of online pettiness goes back to before he owned X. In 2018, 12 boys were trapped in a cave in northern Thailand, and Musk offered to have his engineers build a mini submersible to help the rescue mission. But before that happened, a group of divers rescued them. When one of the rescuers dismissed Musk’s offer, he retaliated by calling him a “pedo guy” — a reaction which shocked many (via NPR).
And his online antics almost turned to real-life violence. When Mark Zuckerberg, CEO of Meta, announced his new platform Threads — a new rival of X — Musk challenged him to a cage fight. Zuckerberg was ready and wrote, “Send me location,” on Instagram (via Forbes). Despite the back-and-forth, the media giants have yet to take any action. But when it comes to online feuds, it seems nothing is off-limits for Musk, and he shows no signs of changing.
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