Elon Musk’s Chronicler Rips Him for ‘Losing His F***ing Mind Online’
Tech journalist Kara Swisher was not impressed with the world’s richest man using his massive platform for Nazi jokes.

Justin Sullivan/Getty Images
The world’s richest man is “losing his f---ing mind online,” veteran tech author Kara Swisher said of Elon Musk, who she has chronicled for decades.
During the latest episode of her podcast On, Swisher took Musk to task for “doubling down” on his controversial behavior. “I think he’s trolling us with these fascist salutes, and now he’s been tweeting Nazi-related puns,” she said.

Elon Musk speaks by video to supporters of Alternative for Germany leader Alice Weidel.
Sean Gallup/Getty Images
Last week, the “First Buddy” and billionaire owner of social media platform X gave a speech at President Donald Trump’s inauguration rally at the Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., in which he smacked his chest and threw out his arm—twice—in a gesture that many observers were quick to liken to a fascist salute. The MAGAverse defended the move as the innocent, awkward arm-waving of an over-excited man, and at first Musk seemed to endorse that defense.
But when that explanation failed to quell his critics, he posted a string of Nazi puns involving the key architects of the Holocaust for his 214.6 million followers. In one fell swoop he referenced Hitler’s second-in-command Rudolph Hess; chief propagandist for the Nazi Party Joseph Goebbels; convicted war criminal Hermann Göring and Heinrich Himmler of the Schutzstaffe.
“Don’t say Hess to Nazi accusations! Some people will Goebbels anything down! Stop Göring your enemies!” he wrote.
“His pronouns would’ve been He/Himmler!” he added, concluding his painfully-cringe barrage of Nazi dad jokes with: “Bet you did nazi that coming.”
Get the best of The Beast delivered right to your inbox
By clicking “SUBSCRIBE” you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Afterward, even the ADL—which was originally inclined to give Musk the benefit of the doubt on the whole evocative gesture thing—was forced to condemn him for making jokes that “only serve to… denigrate the suffering of both victims and survivors and insult the memory of the six million Jews murdered in the Shoah.”

Kara Swisher condemned her former pal.
picture alliance/DPA/Picture Alliance via Getty Images
Or as Swisher put it: “I often say that X has turned into a Nazi porn bar, and today it really is.”
“I have to say Elon’s really trotting out all the Nazi references today,” she added. “He’s doubling down on on his behavior. I think he’s trolling us with these fascist loots and now he’s been tweeting Nazi related puns,” Swisher said.
She added that “there’s obviously not anything happening there in terms of trust and safety” on X.
Unlock a year of full access to The Looker and The Daily Beast for $35.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.
Register below to read this article for free or subscribe
to unlock unlimited access to The Looker and The Daily Beast.
Monthly
$1
First month then $5.99/month
Annual
$35
First year then $59.99/year
Premium
$79
First year then $119.99/year
*Substack access provided by the next business day, using your subscription email. Choosing the Premium plan constitutes your permission to share your subscription email with Substack and your agreement to Substack’s Privacy Policy.
Already have an account? Sign In
Looks like you already have a subscription!
You're all set!
Thanks for subscribing.
Sign in
Login dialog


