‘You are the media now’: Elon Musk urges X users to ‘correct others’ after Donald Trump election victory

In the aftermath of the 2024 US presidential election, Elon Musk took to X (formerly Twitter) to urge users to take an active role in sharing and fact-checking information on the platform. Following Donald Trump’s projected victory, Musk criticised traditional media’s coverage of the election, claiming it misled the public, and positioned X as an alternative for those seeking accurate information.

Musk’s post read, “The reality of this election was plain to see on X, while most legacy media lied relentlessly to the public. You are the media now.” Musk encouraged users to share their own observations, correct misinformation, and create what he described as “one place in the world where you can come to find the truth.” His comments reflect his longstanding criticism of mainstream news outlets, which he claims often push biased narratives over objective reporting.

This post follows Musk’s vocal support of Trump’s performance in the 2024 election. After Trump’s win over Democrat Kamala Harris, Musk called the outcome “inevitable” and celebrated it as a “crystal clear mandate for change.” These comments highlight Musk’s belief that the election results reflect a broader shift in public sentiment that he claims was underreported by traditional media.

He’s repeatedly encouraged X users to take on the role of both consumers and creators of news, suggesting that social media can be a more direct and democratic source of information. However, this has also led to propagation of misinformation on the platform. According to a report by the Center for Countering Digital Hate, around 87 of Musk's misleading posts had attracted over 2 billion views ahead of Election day in the US.

Trump’s victory marks a significant political comeback, and Musk’s support for the US president-elect played an important role in his re-election. In return, Musk saw a massive surge in wealth as Tesla shares gained after the election results were apparent. Musk gained a massive $26.5 billion on the election day, according to the Bloomberg Billionaire Index. His new net worth has further increased the wealth gap between the first position and second, which is held by Jeff Bezos. Elon Musk is leading the chart with a total net worth of $290 billion. Bezos is in the second position with $228 billion.