Elon Musk Sparks Backlash After Saying “Jews Are White, if Not Peak White” on X

NEW YORK – Elon Musk is facing renewed criticism after posting on X that “Jews are White, if not peak White,” a comment that quickly drew millions of views and reignited concerns about his handling of antisemitic content on the platform.

Musk’s remark came Tuesday in response to a user claiming that white people — representing roughly 8% of the global population — are “on the verge of extinction.” Musk replied by suggesting Jewish people fall within that category, writing that Jews are “peak White,” shortly after warning in another post that white people are “going extinct.”

Jews are White, if not peak White

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) December 2, 2025

His comments triggered swift debate across the platform. One user wrote that Jewish communities were nearly wiped out historically, adding that “it always starts with the Jews.” Musk responded to the message by again asserting that Jewish people are white.

The exchange was quickly flagged by X’s community notes feature, which added context stating that while some Jews are white, the global Jewish population is racially and ethnically diverse. The note linked to sources documenting Sephardi, Mizrahi and other non-white Jewish communities.

The user Musk replied to later described himself as “pretty white,” prompting Musk to answer, “It’s easy to figure out by looking in the mirror.”

The comments add to ongoing scrutiny of Musk’s rhetoric and moderation policies on X, which critics say have allowed extremist narratives — including white-identity themes — to gain traction on the platform.