National
Elon Musk tweets support for ‘Dilbert’ creator after racist tirade
(CNN) — Elon Musk defended “Dilbert” creator Scott Adams after hundreds of newspapers stopped printing the comic strip because of Adams’ recent racist comments.
Last week, Adams called Black Americans a “hate group” and suggested that White people should “get the hell away” from them. Adams effectively encouraged segregation in a shocking rant on his YouTube channel. His comments came in response to a poll from the conservative firm Rasmussen Reports that said 53% of Black Americans agreed with the statement, “It’s OK to be White.”
In response to a tweet about the controversy, Twitter owner Musk said Sunday that the “media is racist.” He didn’t criticize Adams’ comments, and Musk said without evidence that for a “very long time, US media was racist against non-white people, now they’re racist against whites & Asians.”
“Same thing happened with elite colleges & high schools in America,” Musk wrote. “Maybe they can try not being racist.”
Musk later agreed with a tweet saying Adams’ comments “weren’t good” but had an “element of truth” to them. He also accused the media of giving Black victims of police violence disproportionate coverage over White victims of police violence. Black people are more likely to die from police use of force than White people, according to multiple studies.
Hate speech on Twitter
The Twitter CEO’s comments come amid an influx of hate speech on his platform. The Center for Countering Digital Hate and the Anti-Defamation League both said in recent reports that the volume of hate speech on Twitter has grown dramatically under Musk’s stewardship.
Specifically, the Center for Countering Digital Hate said that daily use of the n-word under Musk is triple the 2022 average and the use of slurs against gay men and trans persons are up 58% and 62%, respectively. The Anti-Defamation League said in a separate report that its data shows “both an increase in antisemitic content on the platform and a decrease in the moderation of antisemitic posts.”
Adams said on his YouTube show last week that “If nearly half of all Blacks are not OK with White people — according to this poll, not according to me, according to this poll — that’s a hate group.”
“I don’t want to have anything to do with them,” Adams added. “And I would say, based on the current way things are going, the best advice I would give to White people is to get the hell away from Black people, just get the f**k away … because there is no fixing this.”
Adams has since said on Twitter that he was only “advising people to avoid hate” and suggested that the cancellation of his cartoon signals that free speech in America is under assault.
The newspapers that have cut the comic strip have been clear with readers.
“Scott Adams, creator of the Dilbert comic strip, went on a racist rant this week … and we will no longer carry his comic strip in The Plain Dealer,” wrote Chris Quinn, editor of the paper. “This is not a difficult decision.”
“We are not a home for those who espouse racism,” Quinn added. “We certainly do not want to provide them with financial support.”
The USA Today Network, which operates hundreds of newspapers, and the Washington Post, also stopped running “Dilbert.”
–CNN’s Oliver Darcy contributed to this report.
The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2023 Cable News Network, Inc., a Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All rights reserved.
By: Pristine Villarreal
February 27, 2023
Latest Instagram Posts
Tim O’Brien at the Coachella Valley Firebirds training camp!!
BREAKING NEWS 🚨: Murder Suspect Vicky Kim has made a court appearance for the first time in almost two weeks amidst medical delays and two refusals. Today she plead NOT GUILTY to all charges of killing her husband. She is set to appear October 7th for her preliminary hearing. Be sure to visit nbcpalmsprings.com for more information on this case. #breakingnews #courtnews #vickykim #coachellavalley #760
Social Time with Thalia & Jerry. Did you catch the bug that’s going around?
Talking With Thalia: GLP-1 medications have become a popular tool for weight loss, but what you eat while taking them matters, too. Local dietitian Jessica Brantley Lopez shares the importance of protein, complex carbohydrates, fiber and hydration, along with why smaller, more frequent meals may help manage side effects and support healthy weight loss. Jessica also opens up about her own experience with GLP-1 medication and how it changed her approach to helping others. Talking With Thalia is sponsored by DAP Health. Watch the full conversation at NBCPalmSprings.com. #TalkingWithThalia #DAPHealth #GLP1 #WeightLoss #Nutrition Dietitian HealthToday CoachellaValley PalmSprings NBCPalmSprings
Paramount and Warner Bros. Discovery are one step closer to completing their $110 billion merger after a coalition of 12 state attorneys general reached a settlement with Paramount. The settlement resolves the states’ antitrust lawsuit, though it still requires court approval. The agreement includes commitments involving film production, workers and editorial independence for CNN and CBS News. California AG CNN’s Brian Stelter reports. #Paramount #WarnerBrosDiscovery #ParamountMerger #CNN #Hollywood #Media #Merger #Entertainment
A high-speed police chase in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, came to a dramatic end when the vehicle plunged into Lake Como. Dashcam video released by police shows the pursuit before the car crashes into the water. Four people inside the vehicle were pulled from the lake with no serious injuries reported. Police say the driver was charged with reckless driving. Watch the video and get more at NBCPalmSprings.com.
Social Time with Thalia & Jerry. Don’t sweat the small stuff!
As fall approaches, it’s time to start thinking about your annual flu shot. The CDC recommends flu vaccination every season for nearly everyone 6 months and older, and September or October is generally the ideal time for most people to get vaccinated. The 2026-27 flu vaccines have been updated to target the strains expected to circulate this season. There’s also a new option this year: Moderna’s mFLUSIVA, the first FDA-approved mRNA flu vaccine, for adults 50 and older. Talk with your health care provider about which flu vaccine is right for you and make a plan to get vaccinated this fall. Learn more about DAP Health at DAPHealth.org. #FluSeason #FluShot #FluVaccine #DAPHealth #CoachellaValley #PalmSprings #Health #Wellness #NBCPalmSprings
Murder Suspect Vicky Kim was set to appear in court at the Larson Justice Center today following her recent medical clearance to appear in court, but refused. However, she may be forced to appear should she refuse again. Stay tuned with NBC Palm Springs as we follow the latest developments of this case #VickyKim #arraignment #courtupdate #riversidecounty
🚨 20 ARRESTS. 6 GUNS SEIZED. Cathedral City Police report 20 arrests and six handgun seizures following two days of enforcement tied to a Mongols Motorcycle Club gathering. Police also issued 77 citations and impounded 14 vehicles. The operation involved multiple law enforcement agencies and was four weeks in the making. #CathedralCity #BreakingNews #Mongols #CoachellaValley #PublicSafety