No, this isn’t an authentic X post from Elon Musk calling to imprison protesters

As thousands of people across the country protested President Donald Trump on Feb. 17, some of the demonstrations featured signs criticizing Trump adviser Elon Musk. 

"No one voted for Elon Musk," one sign said at a New York City protest. 

On X, it looked like Musk, the platform’s owner, had a snarky response.

"Spoiled crybabies across the country are protesting against America’s golden age. Brats like them should go to prison," reads what looks like a Feb. 17 X post from Musk.  

A Threads post sharing an image of the purported X post was flagged as part of Meta’s efforts to combat false news and misinformation on its News Feed. (Read more about our partnership with Meta, which owns Facebook, Instagram and Threads.)

This post doesn’t appear in Musk’s X feed, and we didn’t find evidence — such as news stories or archived links — that he posted and then deleted it. 

Musk has recently called for prison sentences for the people involved with an interview with former Vice President Kamala Harris on the CBS News show "60 Minutes," people "threatening or encouraging murder," people who "perpetrated" gender-affirming medical care, and former U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Chair Gary Gensler.

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stated on February 23, 2025 in in social media posts

"The Philadelphia Eagles have declined their invitation to the White House,” as of Feb. 24.

But this purported X post from Musk calling for prison for the Feb. 17 protesters was fabricated.

The Threads post included a quote from Trump that is real. Trump on Feb. 15 posted on Truth Social and then X, "He who saves his Country does not violate any Law." The White House shared the quote, which The New York Times and others said is linked to Napoleon Bonaparte. 

The purported Musk quote about jailing protesters is False.