Elon Musk sparked backlash over the Fourth of July weekend after declaring on X that Americans who do not love the country are “traitors” who should be “exiled immediately” — a statement critics said was deeply ironic coming from a South Africa-born billionaire who built his fortune as an immigrant and has long described himself as a free speech absolutist.
The post came early Saturday morning in reply to reality TV star and former Los Angeles mayoral candidate Spencer Pratt, who had written on X on July 4, “It’s OK to love America.” The post drew roughly 102,000 likes and 1.9 million views amid a wave of patriotic content posted across the platform on the nation’s 250th anniversary.
“Not merely ‘ok,'” Musk replied on X. “Anyone who doesn’t love America is a traitor and beneath contempt. Those who don’t love America, those who are disloyal should be exiled immediately.” The reply drew roughly 43,000 likes and nearly 1 million views.
Pratt’s Biblical Response
Pratt did not endorse the exile framing. Hours after Musk’s reply, he posted a Bible verse in response on X. “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand,” Pratt wrote, citing Matthew 12:25 — a passage widely read as a warning against internal division rather than a call for expulsion of dissenters.
Pratt, who ran as a Republican for Los Angeles mayor in 2026 and has positioned himself as an advocate for the city’s recovery, has been vocal about patriotism and criticism of progressive policies in recent months. His original July 4 post was notably gentler in framing than Musk’s reply, describing love of country as acceptable rather than mandatory.
Part of a Broader July 4 Posting Spree
The exile post was one of many patriotic items Musk shared over the holiday weekend. He posted a photo of himself as a young man in front of an American flag, reshared a clip of Vice President JD Vance’s holiday speech, and shared a video comparing the United States to Atlas holding up the world.
“I read the Declaration of Independence out loud today with heartfelt conviction,” Musk wrote in a separate post. “It is a work not just of genius, but also of a purity of soul that resonates to this very day.” Musk has also poured $85 million into helping Republicans in the 2026 midterm elections, per Mediaite, continuing a pattern of political spending that began with his nine-figure contribution to Trump’s 2024 campaign.
The Irony Critics Pointed To
The post drew immediate pushback from critics who noted that Musk himself is an immigrant. Born in Pretoria, South Africa, he immigrated to Canada as a young man before becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen. He has long described himself as a “free speech absolutist” and built X around a stated commitment to open expression — a position critics said his exile comments directly contradicted.
NBC News reviewed Musk’s public statements in 2024 and found an established pattern of him attacking nonprofit groups, journalists and critics who produce content he disagrees with, calling for their prosecution or suspension — behavior that legal scholars said runs counter to his stated free speech values. “If Elon Musk is appointed to some position within the administration, he will continue to jawbone — pressure others to be punished for their speech — and that raises very serious free speech concerns,” Nadine Strossen, a past president of the American Civil Liberties Union, told NBC News. “In our system, the idea of holding somebody criminally liable for something they say is so antithetical to the concept of free speech.”
Michael Gerhardt, a law professor at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, told NBC News that Musk’s growing political power amplifies concerns about such statements. “Musk has the bigger bully pulpit, by virtue of his wealth and allies, and his relationship with Trump likely will allow him more leverage to drown out — and if necessary — to use his economic power to wear them down financially and to get Justice Department support in harassing and punishing them,” Gerhardt said.
A Competing Vision of Patriotism
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, himself a naturalized citizen born in Uganda, offered a sharply different vision of American patriotism in a July 3 address at City Hall. “Patriotism has never been about pretending our nation is without flaws. Patriotism is every act of righteous dissent,” Mamdani said.
Mamdani also took aim at “the world’s first trillionaire” — a reference to Musk, who achieved the milestone following SpaceX’s IPO last month — saying he “hungers for more” while children go hungry. “There are some who respond to those who ask for more from America with a simple refrain — ‘Love it or leave it,'” Mamdani said. “But patriotism has never been about pretending our nation is without flaws.”
A Recurring Theme Heading Into the Midterms
Musk’s “love it or leave it” framing echoed a strand of rhetoric that has become increasingly prominent in conservative circles ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. President Trump’s July 4 address on the National Mall similarly warned against what he described as a growing communist threat from the political left. Musk has in recent months amplified posts about national loyalty, immigration and what he frames as civilizational threats to the West.
The exchange between Pratt and Musk drew broad attention across the political spectrum on a holiday already marked by a national debate over what American patriotism means at 250 years. Supporters on X applauded Musk’s sentiment, while critics argued that calling political dissent treasonous inverts the very principles of free expression the Declaration of Independence was written to protect.