Elon Musk sparks controversy after attacking Columbus Mayor in public comments

Elon Musk has once again sparked controversy after the Tesla CEO made public comments about Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther, calling him a “traitor to America” in a post shared on X (formerly Twitter).

Musk’s remark came in response to a post by Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff and a key figure behind President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. 

Miller accused Mayor Ginther of “advocating for mass Somali migration” while responding to a video the mayor posted a day earlier.

In the December 19 video, Ginther addressed recent federal immigration enforcement activity linked to ICE’s “Operation Buckeye” in Columbus. 

He said the city does not discriminate against residents based on immigration status and made it clear that local police officers would not be used to carry out ICE arrests. 

The mayor also shared general guidance for residents on how to interact with federal law enforcement. He did not mention Somali migration in the video.

Despite this, Musk echoed Miller’s criticism and directly labelled Ginther a traitor in a public reply, drawing swift attention and backlash online.

Responding to the comments, Ginther’s office pushed back. Spokesperson Jennifer Lockrey said that while others may resort to name-calling, the city remains focused on serving its residents. 

It is worth noting that Columbus is home to one of the largest Somali communities in the United States, with estimates ranging from 30,000 to 60,000 residents.