Assassination culture is spreading on the left. Forty-eight percent of liberals say it would be at least somewhat justified to murder Elon Musk

1. Summary of the results

The original statement appears to be partially supported by survey data from the Network Contagion Research Institute and Rutgers University Social Perception Lab. According to the research findings, 48% of respondents who self-identified as "left of center" stated it would be at least somewhat justified to murder Elon Musk ^[1]. The same study found that 55% of left-leaning respondents expressed similar views regarding President Trump ^[1]. These figures are notably higher than the overall survey results, where 31% of all respondents said murdering Musk would be somewhat justified, and 38% said the same about Trump ^[1].

The research characterizes this phenomenon as an emerging "assassination culture" within segments of the U.S. public on the extreme left, marked by the normalization and justification of violence against prominent figures ^[1]. This study was conducted in connection with recent high-profile murders, including those of Charlie Kirk and Brian Thompson ^[2]. The broader survey data revealed that more than 30% of respondents considered it "at least somewhat justified to murder" prominent billionaires, with this number rising to 50% among self-identified left-leaning individuals ^[2].

Multiple sources confirm that Musk has been receiving death threats, with reports indicating his team faces such threats "on a daily basis" ^[3] and that he has received "a lot of death threats" particularly after firing federal workers ^[4]. There are also documented alleged threats to Musk's life and property ^[5], lending credibility to concerns about his personal safety.

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original statement omits several crucial contextual factors that complicate the narrative. Most significantly, Musk himself has embraced inflammatory rhetoric, including calls for followers to "fight or die" in the face of perceived cultural and political conflicts ^[6]. His posts have taken a "dark, inflammatory turn" following recent violent incidents ^[6], suggesting he may be contributing to the very culture of violence he's allegedly victimized by.

International criticism of Musk's behavior provides additional context missing from the original statement. British politicians have condemned Musk's "dangerous" comments at anti-immigration rallies, where he suggested "violence is coming" and advocated for fighting back ^[7]. Furthermore, Ed Davey has urged regulators to investigate Musk over alleged "crimes" on his social media platform X ^[8], indicating that concerns about Musk extend beyond American political divisions to international observers worried about his platform's role in promoting harmful content.

The statement also fails to acknowledge that the survey data represents attitudes rather than actual planned violence, and doesn't provide comparative data about similar attitudes toward other political figures across the political spectrum. The research appears to focus specifically on left-leaning respondents without equivalent analysis of right-wing attitudes toward liberal figures.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

While the 48% figure appears accurate according to the available survey data ^[1], the framing of the statement contains several potentially misleading elements. The phrase "assassination culture is spreading on the left" presents a one-sided narrative that ignores Musk's own contributions to violent rhetoric ^{[6] [7]}. This selective presentation could mislead readers into believing that violent attitudes are exclusively a left-wing phenomenon.

The statement uses the term "liberals" interchangeably with "left of center" respondents, which may not be equivalent categories and could misrepresent the survey's methodology and findings. Additionally, by focusing solely on attitudes toward Musk without mentioning that the same survey found even higher percentages (55%) of left-leaning respondents expressing similar views about Trump ^[1], the statement appears to selectively emphasize data that supports a particular narrative about Musk specifically.

The timing and context of this statement, following actual violent incidents and amid Musk's own inflammatory rhetoric, suggests potential bias in presenting survey data without acknowledging the broader context of escalating political tensions and violent rhetoric from multiple sources across the political spectrum.