Elon Musk Skewered for Posting ‘They…Want Your Extinction’ After Robert E. Lee Statue Melted Down

Elon Musk was called out for “reckless instigation” after a purported relative of Robert E. Lee posted about the Confederate general’s bronze statue in Charlottesville, VA, being melted down in “secret.”

The original post referenced a Washington Post article titled, “Charlottesville’s Lee statue meets its end, in a 2,250-degree furnace,” that included video of the meltdown.

“Literally my ancestor,” @GigaThaad posted. “We carry the Lee name as a first/middle in my family. While I didn’t need a directly insulting gesture to tell me that my kind is hated and many seek our extinction (the implicit cues were strong enough) I appreciate this image making it absolutely clear.”

The post prompted Musk to tweet, “They absolutely want your extinction.”

Sherrilyn Ifill, former official with the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, admonished Musk, tweeting, “What a thing to say. Reckless instigation which, given many of his followers can be so dangerous.”

Others questioned Musk’s reference to “they,” after he failed to clarify.

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