Musk jokes about attempts on Biden and Harris, is being checked by Secret Service

Following an alleged assassination attempt on US presidential candidate Donald Trump, Musk posted on his social media platform X, saying, "And no one is even trying to assassinate Biden/Kamala." He later deleted the post after facing backlash online.

Musk explained that it was intended as a joke. However, the US Secret Service has initiated an investigation to determine whether Musk poses a threat to American officials. Threatening the president or vice president is a federal crime, punishable by a significant fine or up to five years in prison.

"The agency is aware of the social media post made by Elon Musk. As a matter of practice, we do not comment on matters involving protective intelligence. We can say, however, that the Secret Service investigates all threats related to our protectees," said Secret Service spokesperson Nate Herring.

However, according to Bloomberg, Musk likely has little to worry about. The article’s author suggests that the worst-case scenario would involve a visit from the Secret Service, during which Musk would need to prove he does not pose a direct threat to President Biden and Vice President Harris.

Apparent attempt on Trump

On Sunday, September 15, a shooting occurred near the golf club where US presidential candidate Donald Trump was staying. Secret Service agents opened fire on an armed individual.

The FBI later described the incident as an "apparent assassination attempt" on Trump. The suspect was identified as 58-year-old Hawaiian resident Ryan Routh, who was arrested.

According to media reports, the man had expressed support for Ukraine on social media and operated a website aimed at raising funds and recruiting volunteers for the war against Russia.

However, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged not to link the alleged attempt on Trump with Ukraine.