Musk Challenges Harris on Trump’s Stance
Elon Musk, owner of social media platform X (formerly Twitter), criticized U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris on Monday for what he called “lying” about former President Donald Trump’s position on a national abortion ban. Harris had posted on X claiming Trump, who is running against President Joe Biden in the November 5 presidential election, “would ban abortion nationwide.” She added that she and Biden would do “everything in their power to stop him and restore women’s reproductive freedom.”
Community Note Flags Harris’s Post
Harris’s post was flagged by X’s Community Notes, a fact-checking feature that allows users to add context to potentially misleading posts. The community note stated, “President Trump has repeatedly said he will not sign a national abortion ban.” Musk highlighted this note in his response, criticizing Harris and questioning when politicians or their social media teams would realize that “lying on this platform doesn’t work anymore.” He also included a screenshot of her post with the community note attached.
Musk’s Comment on Abortion Debate
Musk further commented on Harris’s post, pointing out that Trump “clearly said he would not” support a national abortion ban during the recent presidential debate with Biden. The issue of abortion regulation has been a significant topic in the presidential campaigns of Biden, a Democrat, and Trump, his Republican opponent.
Abortion Regulation and the Supreme Court
Abortion regulation in the U.S. became a state issue after the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the landmark ruling that had protected abortion rights nationwide. This change has made the topic a central point of contention in the ongoing presidential race.
X’s Community Notes Feature
X describes Community Notes as a collaborative effort to provide better-informed discussions by allowing users to add context to potentially misleading posts. According to X’s help center, Community Notes “aims to create a better informed world by empowering people on X to collaboratively add context to potentially misleading posts.” Contributors can leave notes on any post, and if enough contributors from different perspectives rate a note as helpful, it becomes publicly visible.
Musk’s Support for Community Notes
Since taking over X in 2022, Musk has repeatedly praised the Community Notes feature for its role in enhancing the platform’s information quality.
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