FACT CHECK: Viral Facebook Post Makes False Claim About Elon Musk, ABC, ‘Wokeness’

A viral post shared on Facebook claims Tesla CEO and owner of X, Elon Musk, is purportedly planning to acquire ABC to remove “wokeness” from the network.

Verdict: False

The claim is false and originally stems from a Sept. 17 article published on the satire site “Esspots.com”

Fact Check:

Musk’s America PAC’s $1 million sweepstakes aimed at increasing voter registrations in swing states “may violate federal law,” according to the Justice Department, CNN reported. Musk started the initiative in support of 2024 Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump’s campaign, the outlet indicated.

The Facebook post, which has received 13,000 likes as of writing, claims Musk is purportedly planning to acquire ABC to remove “wokeness” from the network.

“Elon Musk Plans To Acquire ABC To Remove ‘Wokeness,’ Will Fire Debate Moderators Immediately,” the post, which does not provide a source to support its claim, reads. The post also features side-by-side photos of Musk and ABC News journalist Linsey Davis, who served as one of the moderators of the network’s Sept. 10 presidential debate.

The claim is false and originally stems from a Sept. 17 article published on the satire site “Esspots.com.” According to its “About” page, Esspots.com is a “subsidiary of SpaceXMania.com specializing in Satire and Parody News” and “your one-stop destination for satirical news and commentary about the United States of America.”

Likewise, the website’s “Disclaimer” page reiterates it is a “website that specializes in satire, parody, and humor. Before you proceed to read our content, we would like to emphasize that nothing on this website is real. All of the articles, stories, and commentary found on Esspots.com are entirely fictitious and created for the purpose of entertainment only,” it continues. (RELATED: No, Politico Did Not Publish This Article Poking Fun At Elon Musk’s Tweets)

In addition, Check Your Fact has not found any credible news reports to support the claim. Actually, the opposite is true. On Oct. 23, Snopes debunked the claim, indicating it originated from the satire site.

Furthermore, neither Musk nor ABC appear to have publicly commented on the claim.

Check Your Fact has contacted Musk for comment.

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