Collection
Musk Said SpaceX Working on Controlling Weather to Compete with NASA?
Yes, Musk once called Social Security a "Ponzi scheme." No, that "defund the poor" post supposedly attributed to him isn't real.
by Rae Deng , Oct. 11, 2024
Image courtesy of Getty Images / X user @ElonMusk / Snopes Illustration
Tech billionaire Elon Musk, a senior adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump, is a frequent focus of online rumors.
Snopes first posted a collection of fact checks about Musk in late 2024. Then, as Musk's influence on American government grew following Trump's second presidential inauguration, we put together a second collection of Musk rumors in February 2025.
But the deluge of claims and rumors surrounding the Tesla CEO, X owner and SpaceX founder haven't subsided since then.
Here is yet another sampling of fact checks about Musk — this time focused on what he has or hasn't said.
By Rae Deng
Rae Deng specializes in government/politics and is based in Tacoma, Wash.
Musk has not said he wants to cut Social Security benefits — but his actions may affect the program
March 14, 2025
Elon Musk said he wants to cut "waste and fraud" from the federal benefits program — but his eff ...
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Yes, Musk repost misleadingly claimed 'Stalin, Mao and Hitler didn't murder millions of people'
March 17, 2025
Musk reposted the thought on X in March 2025 and later removed it.
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'Defund the poor' post attributed to Musk is fake
March 12, 2025
Elon Musk, the public face of the U.S. Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, purportedly ...
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Yes, Musk said 'The fundamental weakness of Western civilization is empathy.' Here's context
March 10, 2025
The X owner delivered the quote during a Feb. 28, 2025, episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience" po ...
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Yes, Musk called Social Security a 'Ponzi scheme'
March 4, 2025
The tech billionaire compared the federal income program to a form of investment fraud on "The J ...
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Yes, Musk reposted meme calling Americans who use federal programs the 'Parasite Class'
Feb. 21, 2025
The repost led to accusations of hypocrisy.
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Musk did not post that 'billionaires are tired of subsidizing' public services
Feb. 20, 2025
The post, in which he appeared to tell people to "roll around in the mud with your fellow pigs," ...
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Musk post saying protesters against Trump 'should go to prison' is fake
Feb. 19, 2025
The fake screenshot circulated in February 2025 after Musk genuinely wrote CBS News' "60 Minutes ...
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Yes, Musk said Americans will suffer 'temporary hardship' due to govt cost-cutting measures
Feb. 6, 2025
The tech billionaire pledged to help U.S. President Donald Trump curb government spending.
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Yes, Musk said he'd ask Trump about $5K checks for US taxpayers funded by DOGE savings
Feb. 21, 2025
An investment company's CEO suggested the "DOGE dividend" idea to Musk on X.
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No, Musk didn't say he would suspend anti-Trump users from X
Feb. 4, 2025
Musk is a vocal advocate of free speech, although critics say his actions suggest otherwise.
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Elon Musk did not say Italians should stay in Italy
Feb. 4, 2025
The tech billionaire did call on Italians to have more children.
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Yes, Musk Once Posted It Would Take Airplane Crash To End 'Crazy' DEI Hiring Policy
Jan. 31, 2025
Users resurfaced the year-old post after U.S. President Donald Trump baselessly blamed DEI for a ...
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Fake Elon Musk Post Fictionalizes His Response to Nazi Salute Accusations
Jan. 25, 2025
Musk's response to the accusations has included the complaint that the "legacy media" is trying ...
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Musk Said He 'Longs to Get Pregnant'? Not Exactly
Jan. 30, 2025
Musk has repeatedly expressed concern about declining birth rates.
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Musk Claimed C-Sections Allow Babies to Have Larger Brains?
Jan. 7, 2025
Although the post is real, the science behind the claim is debated.
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Elon Musk Said the AfD Can 'Save Germany.' Here's What We Know About the Political Party
Dec. 23, 2024
The AfD party's program starts with the sentences: "Courage for Germany. Free citizens, not subj ...
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Elon Musk Did Say the Word 'Homeless' Is a Lie
Dec. 13, 2024
The tech entrepreneur has a history of suspicion towards organizations helping homeless people.
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Musk Never Said, 'Imma Focus on Making Life Harder for Trans People'
Dec. 2, 2024
"Imagine you get to a point of wealth so surreal that you can literally solve world hunger," a v ...
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Musk Once Said Trump Would Be 'Too Old' to Be President by End of 2nd Term?
Oct. 24, 2024
An old post allegedly showing the Tesla founder saying why he thinks Trump should not be preside ...
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Musk Said SpaceX Working on Controlling Weather to Compete with NASA?
Oct. 11, 2024
"Can he counteract what they are doing now?" one commenter asked.
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