Elon Musk sparks controversy with repost comparing public workers to genocidal regimes

Billionaire Elon Musk, who currently serves as the head of the Department of Government Efficiency, faced backlash on Friday after reposting a controversial message on X. The post suggested that mass murders under Stalin, Mao, and Hitler were carried out by public sector employees rather than the leaders themselves.

Musk’s repost draws widespread criticism

The original post, which read, “Stalin, Mao, and Hitler didn’t murder millions of people. Their public sector employees did,” was quickly deleted but not before drawing intense condemnation from labor unions and advocacy groups.

Lee Saunders, president of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, strongly condemned Musk’s message.

“America’s public service workers — our nurses, teachers, firefighters, librarians — chose making our communities safe, healthy, and strong over getting rich. They are not, as the world’s richest man implies, genocidal murderers,” Saunders stated.

He further accused Musk of being disconnected from the struggles of everyday Americans, saying, “Elon Musk and the billionaires in this administration have no idea what real people go through every day. That’s why he’s so willing to take a chainsaw to people’s jobs, Medicaid, Social Security, and Medicare.”

ADL calls Musk’s repost ‘deeply disturbing’

The Anti-Defamation League (ADL), a nonprofit that combats antisemitism, also weighed in, calling Musk’s actions reckless.

“It is deeply disturbing and irresponsible for someone with a large public platform to elevate the kind of rhetoric that serves to undermine the seriousness of these issues,” the ADL stated.

Musk, who has over 219 million followers on X, has not publicly commented on the controversy or explained why he removed the repost.

Protests and backlash against Musk’s Government cuts

Musk’s latest remarks come amid growing public anger over his aggressive downsising of the federal workforce. His cuts have led to nationwide protests dubbed the "Tesla Takedown," where Tesla owners have reported being harassed and multiple Tesla dealerships have been vandalised.

Previous Nazi salute controversy

This is not the first time Musk has been accused of making remarks or gestures linked to Nazi imagery. In January, during President Donald Trump’s inaugural event, Musk made a gesture that critics likened to a Nazi salute. At the time, the ADL defended Musk, calling it “awkward” but not intentional.

“It seems that @elonmusk made an awkward gesture in a moment of enthusiasm, not a Nazi salute, but again, we appreciate that people are on edge,” the ADL had posted.