Nation
Elon Musk says he won’t take Covid vaccine and calls Bill Gates a ‘knucklehead’
SpaceX and Tesla’s odd-ball boss Elon Musk said that he nor his family will take the Coronavirus vaccine on the New York Times’ “Sway” opinion podcast, the New York Post reports.
“I’m not at risk, neither are my kids,” the eccentric entrepreneur, who is not a stranger to making controversial statements, said to host Kara Swisher on Monday’s edition of the podcast.
Musk also bashed the United Kingdom’s nationwide lockdown measures as a “no-win situation” amid soaring virus cases in the U.K., adding that it has “diminished my faith in humanity.”
He then suggested that, as a more targeted alternative, “anyone who is at risk” should be “quarantined until the storm passes.” This earned him a swift rebuke from Swisher, with her citing the number of lives that could potentially be lost if such a limited lockdown were implemented.
“Everybody dies,” Elon Musk
“Everybody dies,” he remarked.
The 49-year-old billionaire has made similar comments regarding the pandemic in the past. He has previously called the lockdowns of various countries, especially the U.S.’s, “unethical” and “de facto house arrest,” RT reports.
While on the podcast, Musk took the time to point out that his commercial space company SpaceX “didn’t skip a day” throughout the pandemic’s duration in order to highlight how, in his mind, the quarantines were illogical. He further justified continuing to run SpaceX, saying, “We had national security clearance because we were doing national security work,” and that, “We sent astronauts to the Space Station and back.”
During the latter part of the podcast, Musk stirred even more controversy by calling Bill Gates a “knucklehead.” This follows the Microsoft founder’s previous criticism of Musk’s skepticism toward the virus.
“Gates said something about me not knowing what I was doing,” the Boring Company chief told Swisher. Then, in reference to Tesla manufacturing equipment for the German biopharmaceutical firm CureVac, he added, “It’s like, ‘Hey, knucklehead, we actually make the vaccine machines for CureVac, that company you’re invested in.’”
This is in response to a specific CNBC interview in July that Gates participated in. In the aforementioned interview, Gates said he hoped that Musk “doesn’t confuse areas he’s not involved with” following his claim that the Tesla CEO had very little knowledge about vaccines.
As the global death toll from the Coronavirus surpasses 1 million, according to Johns Hopkins University, it is still uncertain when there will be a working vaccine. Most experts estimate that a vaccine will likely become widely available by mid-2021, the BBC recently reported. Scientists are aiming to develop a vaccine within the span of a few months, while vaccines tend to take years—even decades—to develop, according to the same article.
You can follow Douglas Braff on Twitter @Douglas_P_Braff.
In a closed-door House GOP conference meeting on Thursday morning, tensions flared as Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) confronted Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), accusing him and his allies of orchestrating an online campaign against him with the help of “MAGA influencers.”
According to reports from Fox News, the exchange was marked by what was described as “fireworks.” Gaetz directly addressed McCarthy, alleging that “MAGA influencers” had been paid to attack him on social media. McCarthy promptly denied the accusation, dismissing Gaetz’s claims.
Speaker McCarthy dismissed Gaetz’s allegations, indicating that he had no intention of engaging in such activities. In the same meeting, another source revealed that McCarthy questioned Gaetz’s commitment to the GOP’s goals, pointing out that he was personally dedicating his efforts to allocate $5 million to support GOP candidates and members with the aim of strengthening their majority in the near future. McCarthy’s remark seemed to challenge Gaetz regarding his contributions toward achieving a stronger Republican majority.
In response to Gaetz’s allegations, some members of the GOP caucus expressed frustration. According to a second source, one lawmaker told Gaetz to “f— off,” while another referred to him as a “scumbag,” according to reports.
Gaetz confirmed the confrontation to reporters as he exited the meeting, explaining, “I asked him whether or not he was paying those influencers to post negative things about me online.” He also confirmed McCarthy’s response, saying, “Yeah, that is what he said.”
When asked about his feelings toward McCarthy during and after the exchange, Gaetz remarked, “My blood pressure is like 120 over 80. So I’m feeling great.”
A spokesperson for Speaker McCarthy categorically denied any involvement in the alleged online campaign, attributing it to a Democrat-backed entity. In support of this claim, Fox News Digital reportedly obtained a screenshot of a cease-and-desist email sent by McCarthy’s outside lawyer to the individuals allegedly behind the campaign.
Furthermore, the email asserted that the campaign falsely claimed to act on behalf of Speaker McCarthy and his affiliated entities and warned of legal consequences if the actions continued.
The exchange in the House GOP meeting underscores the ongoing tension between Gaetz and McCarthy. Gaetz has been threatening to force a House-wide vote on McCarthy’s speakership, alleging violations of a deal struck to secure McCarthy’s election as Speaker in January.
Under the terms of that compromise, McCarthy agreed to allow any lawmaker to trigger a vote on his removal, known as a “motion to vacate.” While Gaetz had hinted at pursuing such a motion earlier in the week, he sidestepped questions on the matter during the recent meeting with reporters.
In the midst of this contentious atmosphere, Gaetz emphasized his current focus on advancing single-subject spending bills, deflecting inquiries regarding the motion to vacate and maintaining his dedication to legislative efforts.
The confrontation between Gaetz and McCarthy underscores the complex dynamics within the Republican caucus as it navigates internal divisions and confronts ongoing challenges on Capitol Hill.
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