Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk has threatened legal action after former Rep. Jamaal Bowman (D-N.Y.), once a member of the far-left Democrat ‘Squad’ in the House, referred to President Donald Trump’s top adviser as a “Nazi” and a “thief” during a recent appearance on CNN.
“I’ve had enough. Lawsuit inbound,” Musk wrote on X on Friday, replying to a clip of Bowman’s recent round table discussion on CNN.Bowman, who was beaten in last July’s Democratic primary by a centrist pro-Israel candidate, said to a panel of commentators that the “American people do not trust Elon Musk and Elon Musk is incompetent in his position.”
“How do we know? Because they fired tens of thousands of people, was challenged in court. The court said the people have to go back, and now the people are coming back,” Bowman told CNN.
“He’s incompetent. He’s a thief. He’s a Nazi. And people don’t trust him,” Bowman claimed of Musk.
Left-wing media outlets accused Elon Musk of performing a “Nazi salute” while addressing a crowd on President Trump’s Inauguration Day. In response, Musk’s mother, Maye Musk, urged him to take legal action against CNN and other outlets for spreading what she called a false and defamatory narrative.
Some Democrats have echoed the same false fascist accusations, including Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), a former “Squad” colleague of Jamaal Bowman, who referred to Musk last month as a “Nazi nepo baby.”
Jamaal Bowman just called Elon Musk an "incompetent thief" and "Nazi" on CNN.
A lawsuit waiting to happen. pic.twitter.com/4ucENS8KT4
— Thomas Hern (@ThomasMHern) March 21, 2025
Bowman, a former member of the progressive “Squad” of left-wing House Democrats of color, was defeated by George Latimer in the July Democratic primary for New York’s 16th Congressional District. Bowman, who accused Israel of committing “genocide” during its war with Hamas terrorists, claimed that the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a well-funded pro-Israel lobbying group, spent millions to “brainwash” voters against him.
In 2023, Bowman was formally censured by the House of Representatives after he pulled a fire alarm in the Capitol during government shutdown negotiations—an act seen as an attempt to delay proceedings.
Among those supporting Elon Musk’s potential lawsuit was conservative journalist Andy Ngo, who rose to prominence after being assaulted by Antifa rioters in Portland, Oregon, in 2019, Fox News reported.
“Accusing people of crimes is not protected opinion. CNN is putting itself at risk of liability for bringing on guests who repeat potentially defamatory claims unchallenged,” Ngo wrote.
“Sue him! Defamation against conservatives can’t go unaddressed or it will never end,” Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, wrote from his personal X account.
“Fight back!” Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., also wrote.
Meanwhile, Musk and voter registration activist Scott Presler are working overtime to motivate Republicans to turn out for a Supreme Court election in the key battleground state of Wisconsin with the GOP majority in the U.S. House literally at stake.
America PAC, a political action committee founded by SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk to support President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign, is spending $1 million to back conservative Supreme Court candidate Brad Schimel’s canvassing and field operations.
Another Musk-backed group, Building America’s Future, purchased $1.5 million in commercials to support the conservative candidate.
His opponent is liberal judge Susan Crawford, and whoever takes the race will decide the balance of power in the important swing state’s highest court.
That matters because a Crawford victory means the court’s current 4-3 liberal majority will remain intact and justices will likely approve a gerrymandering of the state’s congressional districts that will cost Republicans at least two U.S. House seats, potentially flipping the chamber to Democrats in 2026.