FACT CHECK: Did Insider Publish This Article About Elon Musk Insulting Donald Trump?

An image shared on Facebook purportedly shows an Insider article about Tesla CEO Elon Musk insulting former President Donald Trump.

Verdict: Misleading

The post is digitally fabricated. An Insider spokesperson confirmed the outlet did not publish such a headline.

Fact Check:

Trump referred to Musk as “another bullshit artist” during a July 10 rally in Alaska in response to the Tesla CEO’s support of Democrats in the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections, according to The Hill. In response, Musk said on Twitter that it is time for Trump to “hang up his hat & sail into the sunset.” He also suggested the former president is too old to run for the presidency again.

An image shared on Facebook claims Musk recently took his criticism of Trump to the next level. It shows what appears to be a screenshot of a July 12 Insider article with a headline that reads, “Musk claims Trump was the one on his knees and he was ‘surprisingly good with his mouth.’” (RELATED: FACT CHECK: Did Elon Musk Tweet, ‘I Tried To Buy The Bidens, But The Chinese Wouldn’t Sell Them?’)

The purported headline appears to be a reference to a message Trump posted on Truth Social in which he claimed that when he was president he could have made Musk beg on his knees for subsidies.

The image shared on Facebook is digitally fabricated, however. No such article or headline could be found on Insider’s website or verified social media accounts. There are likewise no credible news reports suggesting Musk made such a comment.

“This social media post is an altered image,” said Amanda Howard, an Insider spokesperson, in an email to Check Your Fact. “It is not the original article.”

The image appears to be an altered version of a genuine July 12 Insider piece titled, “Trump ramps up feud with Elon Musk, claiming he could have made Musk drop to his knees and beg for help when he was president.”

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