FACT CHECK: Did Elon Musk Call Donald Trump A ‘Dumbass’ On Twitter?

An image shared on Facebook supposedly shows a 2018 tweet from SpaceX CEO Elon Musk calling former President Donald Trump a “dumbass.”

Verdict: False

There is no record of Musk sending such a tweet. The image is fabricated.

Fact Check:

SpaceX first launched its Falcon Heavy rocket into space in February 2018, The New York Times reported. The launch marked the first time a private company successfully launched a rocket into outer space, the outlet reported.

The Facebook image shows Trump’s tweet that day congratulating Musk and his company, stating “This achievement, along with @NASA’s commercial and international partners, continues to show American ingenuity at its best!”

Below that tweet is an alleged tweet in response from Musk that reads, “I’m from South Africa, you dumbass.” (RELATED: No, This Footage Does Not Show China’s ‘Artificial Sun’ Being Launched)

The tweet is digitally altered. There is no record of the alleged tweet on Musk’s verified Twitter account. Rather, The SpaceX CEO’s reply to Trump’s tweet about the Falcon Heavy was positive, stating, “Thank you on behalf of SpaceX. An exciting future lies ahead!”

Thank you on behalf of SpaceX. An exciting future lies ahead!

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) February 7, 2018

There are no news reports suggesting Musk tweeted the derisive statement at Trump or anyone else. The SpaceX CEO was born in South Africa but holds U.S. and Canadian citizenship, according to Deutsche Welle.

Musk recently reached an agreement with Twitter to buy the company for $44 billion, according to Reuters. The platform permanently suspended Trump in January 2021, claiming that tweets he posted after the January 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol went against its policies.

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