ISTANBUL

The White House on Monday condemned remarks by Tesla chief Elon Musk about political violence as "irresponsible," following a now-deleted post on X where Musk commented on an assassination attempt against former President Donald Trump.

"There is no place for political violence or any violence ever in our country," the White House said in a statement, emphasizing the importance of condemning violence. "This rhetoric is irresponsible," the statement added.

In a post on Sunday, Musk said: "And no one is even trying to assassinate Biden/Kamala," quoting an X user who asked: "Why they want to kill Donald Trump." It sparked widespread criticism.

The X owner later clarified it was intended as a joke, acknowledging the potential for misinterpretation in text format. "Well, one lesson l've learned is that just because I say something to a group and they laugh doesn't mean it's going to be all that hilarious as a post on X," he added.