Yousaf: Musk has a ‘whole team trying to besmirch my reputation’
After Musk suggested he had been “racist” in his private communications, Yousaf says he checked his private messages:
It was more out of complete and utter confusion of what the heck he was talking about. A very pointed accusation that he’s trying to make, and most people who commented underneath are saying the same thing, you know, ‘Go on Elon, release his Twitter DMs’…I’m thinking, I’ve been on Twitter for a long time, have I made an off-colour joke? Have I said something in a private communication? So, I thought I better do the belt and braces thing, and as I say there was nothing there, and unsurprisingly so
And accuses Musk of targeting him:
But here is somebody who is basically saying to me by the way ‘you better watch out; I’m going to release stuff on you and it’s going to make your life hell…I am certain he has a whole team of people who are looking at any information they can gather on me and try to use it to besmirch my reputation.
Yousaf repeats his claim that Musk is a racist, with “far-right, white supremacist tendencies”.
Elon Musk could have trillions let alone billions and he wouldn’t have enough to shut me up.
Musk to Yousaf: ‘I dare that scumbag to sue me.’
Reacting to news that Yousaf is considering legal action against him, Musk says:
He’s obviously super racist against white people. I dare that scumbag to sue me. Go ahead, make my day…Legal discovery will show that however big a racist he’s been in public communications, he is vastly worse in private communications.
He’s obviously super racist against white people. I dare that scumbag to sue me. Go ahead, make my day …
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 11, 2024
Lawyer: Yousaf considering legal action against Musk
Anwar, acting for Yousaf, says Yousaf is considering legal action against Musk:
Anybody who goes on social media, even if they own the platform and thinks that free speech is absolute whether in the UK or USA, needs to think again. Free speech carries responsibility and if you break the law there are consequences, as we have seen in recent days. Elon Musk has effectively painted a target on Humza Yousaf’s back with his completely unacceptable, untrue and inflammatory comments.
Humza has chosen to stand up against racism and prejudice and hate, no matter the community or individual being targeted. There has been a concerted attempt over a number of years to paint a target on Humza’s back and nobody understands more than him and his loved ones the strain that causes – genuinely having to wonder whether every day could be your last day.
The primary issue that may arise from the postings of Mr Musk is how others choose to ride on the back of the fire he is clearly igniting. If others choose to incite racial hatred against Humza or others, they should expect multiple years in prison. Social media is not a law-free zone and where actions are criminal and harmful you can expect the full force of the law. Wannabe Tommy Robinsons and Elon Musk’s need to realise words carry consequences, no different to those Islamic hate preachers face for domestic terrorism.
Musk: Yousaf is ‘super, super racist’
Musk responds to Yousaf’s comments on CNN:
He is super, super racist. Scotland gave him everything and yet he loathes white people. This is obvious, because he has never complained about the race of any other country’s leadership. There are over 200 countries in the world, most of whom have single-race leadership. Why is he only attacking Scotland?
He is super, super racist. Scotland gave him everything and yet he loathes white people.
This is obvious, because he has never complained about the race of any other country’s leadership.
There are over 200 countries in the world, most of whom have single-race leadership. Why…
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) August 9, 2024
Yousaf repeats ‘dangerous man’ claim on CNN
In a CNN interview, Yousaf repeats his claim that Musk is one of the most dangerous men on the planet:
As for Elon Musk, he is, I would suggest, one of the most dangerous men on the planet. He uses his billions – he’s unaccountable to anyone – to amplify far-right white supremacist ideology. Hs is hoping for civil war in some parts of Europe, including the UK. Instead of using X as a platform for good, and using his enormous wealth for good, he’s using it for the most wicked evil possible.
Scotland's former PM Humza Yousaf calls for a crackdown against X and calls Elon Musk "one of the most dangerous men"
"The most wicked, evil possible" pic.twitter.com/yIFhATgNW1
— End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) August 9, 2024
Yousaf: Musk is ‘one of the most dangerous men on the planet’
At a sparsely-attended event at the Edinburgh Festival, Yousaf, in conversation with Stadlen, criticises Musk:
I have to say, in my opinion, he is one of the most dangerous men on the planet. He is accountable to nobody, he has vast wealth at his fingertips. He has vast wealth at his fingertips, and he uses it for some of the most wicked evil I’ve seen. He is not an idiot — Elon Musk is very smart, very tech-savvy.
So he’s amplified these white supremacists, these far-right neo Nazi conspiracy theories, and has almost called for civil war in Europe. He does it with a question mark, with emojis, and tries to make it as though it’s an innocent question. He is using his wealth to amplify the far right.
Discussing a debunked post by Musk that claimed the UK Government was considering creating temporary detainment camps on the Falkland Islands for those arrested during riots:
Elon Musk, again, is not an idiot. He’s a smart individual who can easily use a search engine to see whether that headline is true. He didn’t. He chose to amplify that to his 190 million followers. He’s as I say, I think one of the most dangerous men on the planet particularly because he’s so unaccountable.
Musk: Yousaf is a ‘blatant racist’
In response to a post about Yousaf’s speech complaining about the lack of white people in senior positions in Scottish society:
Scotland’s First Minister Humza Yousaf openly despises white people Why would Scotland’s Parliament and King select a guy who hates almost 100% of the country?
Musk says:
What a blatant racist!
What a blatant racist!
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 26, 2023
Sturgeon hired Godley despite Yousaf ‘divisive’ warning
A freedom of information response shows Sturgeon approved Godley’s £10,000 Covid commercial fee, despite Yousaf raising concerns. On August 30, Mr Yousaf’s private secretary emailed the First Minister’s Office to say that My Yousaf felt using Ms Godley could “be divisive” and “there may be many people who purposely switch off if she is fronting it”. Yousaf wanted an unnamed male celebrity to front the public health campaign instead as he would “be a better candidate, given his broader appeal”. Sturgeon’s office replied:
FM (First Minister) is content to clear but agrees with Cab Sec comments. FM is very supportive of Janey Godley and she has been hugely helpful to our Covid messaging but she is perceived to be on one side of the political debate in Scotland and so may not speak to the maximum number of people.