The White House has strongly condemned Elon Musk, the owner of X (formerly known as Twitter), for endorsing an antisemitic post on the platform. Musk responded to a post sharing an antisemitic conspiracy theory, calling it "actual truth." The White House spokesperson, Andrew Bates, called Musk's endorsement of the post “unacceptable” and accused him of promoting "antisemitic and racist hate." Bates highlighted that the post Musk was responding to referred to the conspiracy theory that motivated the Pittsburgh synagogue shooter in 2018, who killed 11 people. Moreover, Bates mentioned the recent Hamas assault against Israel on 7 October, stating that it was inappropriate to repeat such a "hideous lie" after the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust.

Linda Yaccarino, Chief Executive of X, expressed the company's clear stance against antisemitism and discrimination, stating that there is no place for it in the world. Yaccarino's statement came in response to Musk's endorsement of a post that accused Jewish communities of pushing "hatred against whites" and included anti-immigrant sentiments. The post aligned with the racist and antisemitic conspiracy theory known as "white genocide."

The original post that Musk responded to, according to Zahed Amanullah from the Institute of Strategic Dialogue, used language that has historically justified violent attacks on synagogues. This conspiracy theory motivated the Pittsburgh synagogue shooter in 2018. Musk has denied being antisemitic and clarified that his comments were not about all Jewish people but were directed at groups like the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) and other unspecified "Jewish communities." However, ADL Chief Executive Jonathan Greenblatt criticized Musk's endorsement, stating that it is dangerous to use one's influence to validate and promote antisemitic theories, especially at a time when antisemitism is increasing globally.

The controversy surrounding antisemitism on X has led to several companies halting their advertising on the platform. IBM and Apple have both stopped ad spending on X after reports revealed that their ads were appearing next to posts praising Adolf Hitler and Nazism. The European Commission has also asked its departments to stop buying ads on X due to concerns over misinformation related to the Israel-Hamas war.

Musk's endorsement of antisemitic ideas has not only caused backlash against X but also affected Tesla, the electric car company he owns. Tesla shareholders are reportedly frustrated and dismayed by Musk's comments, with some questioning what the future holds for the company under his leadership.

In response to the mounting criticism, Yaccarino reiterated X's efforts to combat antisemitism and discrimination. However, Facebook cofounder Dustin Moskovitz called for Musk's removal as CTO of X, suggesting that Yaccarino faces a significant decision in determining whether or not to terminate Musk or risk losing more advertisers.

The controversy surrounding Musk's comments has further damaged X's reputation, resulting in a significant decrease in advertising revenue and web traffic on the platform. Musk's repeated endorsement of conspiracy theories and his criticism of social media watchdogs have contributed to the decline in X's brand safety and the perception that extremism and hate speech have increased under his leadership.

While Musk has threatened legal action against the ADL and sued the Center for Countering Digital Hate, claiming that pressure groups are responsible for the decline in advertising revenue, outside groups argue that the increase in hate speech is a result of his content moderation changes.

In conclusion, Elon Musk's endorsement of an antisemitic post on X has caused widespread backlash, leading to companies pulling their advertising from the platform. The White House, shareholders, and various organizations have condemned Musk's comments, highlighting the dangers of promoting antisemitic and racist hate. X's reputation has suffered, with a significant decrease in advertising revenue and web traffic. The controversy surrounding Musk's comments raises questions about the future of X and its efforts to combat hate speech and extremism on the platform.