The rumor emerged shortly after Musk acknowledged that SpaceX restricted Ukrainian military operations on the Starlink network.
WASHINGTON, DC: Amid rising geopolitical tensions between the US and Iran in the Middle East, social media users have been sharing a viral rumor alleging that billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk launched a scathing attack on the Trump administration, labeling its members as warmongers. The unverified post quickly gained traction online, prompting widespread debate and demands for verification.
The Rumor: Did Elon Musk call the Trump administration warmongers?
According to the widely shared online narrative, the Tesla chief executive publicly accused the Trump administration of promoting endless conflict.
The claim hinged on a fabricated screenshot purporting to show a statement from Musk that read: “May the bloodthirsty warmongers, who push for a war that never ends, burn in hell!”
This fake statement was paired with a manipulated image featuring President Donald Trump inside the Oval Office alongside several prominent political figures and allies, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Jared Kushner, Laura Loomer, media personality Mark Levin, businesswoman Miriam Adelson, and the late Senator Lindsey Graham.
While the post drew tens of thousands of views—with some users speculating about a falling-out between Trump and Musk—many others immediately questioned its authenticity and called for an investigation into its origins.
Fact Check: The claim stems from satire
Ultimately, the rumor is entirely false. There is no factual basis to support the notion that Musk targeted the Trump administration with accusations of warmongering.
Although Musk did previously publish a post on X containing the phrase, “May the bloodthirsty warmongers, who push for a war that never ends, burn in hell!” he was not referring to the Trump administration, nor did his actual post feature the aforementioned composite image of Trump and his aides in the Oval Office.
Had a prominent figure like Musk made such a direct accusation against a sitting US administration, it would have been heavily covered by mainstream news organizations. Comprehensive search engine queries yielded zero legitimate reports confirming the rumor.
Instead, the misinformation originated from a satirical social media profile named ‘The Babylon Bibi,’ which explicitly labels its content as parody in its biography.
Background: Starlink restrictions in Ukraine
The timing of the fake post coincided with heavy public discussion surrounding Musk’s recent admission that SpaceX intentionally throttled Ukraine’s access to the Starlink satellite internet system. The adjustment was made after the company discovered that Ukrainian operators were utilizing the network to facilitate offensive drone attacks against Russian military targets.
Reporting from The Wall Street Journal indicated that Musk deliberately “capped the speeds at which Ukrainian hardware could stay connected to the satellite-based network,” which effectively disrupted their tactical drone operations.
President Trump initially distanced himself from the decision, stating publicly that he was unaware of who ordered the network slowdown and was not involved, though he later engaged with Musk to encourage the restoration of full access.