Elon Musk Mocked After Criticizing Economist Editor Following Tense Interview
Key Takeaways
- •Zanny Minton Beddoes questioned Elon Musk about whether his optimistic views on AI and robot labor conflicted with his claims about immigration in Europe.
- •Musk said he did not believe those positions were inconsistent but offered little further explanation during the exchange.
- •The interview also addressed accusations of racism and whether Musk is anti-Muslim.
- •Musk later called Beddoes a “traitor to the West” in a post on X.
- •Mehdi Hasan criticized Musk’s reaction after the interview, describing it as an abnormal response to a difficult exchange.
Elon Musk is facing renewed ridicule after criticizing Economist editor-in-chief Zanny Minton Beddoes several days after she questioned him about apparent contradictions during a combative interview.
Musk sat down with Beddoes for an interview published Thursday, and the exchange quickly became tense. Beddoes challenged Musk on how his predicted utopian future of abundant artificial intelligence and robot labor aligned with his repeated claims that Europe is being ruined by immigrants. Musk struggled to answer, saying only, “I don't think they're inconsistent.”
The exchange drew attention because Musk’s public comments now routinely span technology, immigration, media, and politics, while The Economist is a major international publication whose interviews often press business and political figures on policy positions. In this case, Beddoes focused on whether Musk’s views on automation and demographic change fit together.
Beddoes also pressed Musk on accusations of racism. He denied those allegations by citing the heritage of his partner, Shivon Zillis. She also questioned whether he is anti-Muslim, a claim he was notably less willing to deny outright.
By the end of the interview, Musk shifted to airing grievances. He insisted that his following of “a quarter billion people” on X showed he was more liked than disliked, and told Beddoes that “a lot more people hate you and the media more than you realize.”
Musk’s conduct during the interview was described as a “melt down” in a Gizmodo analysis published Thursday. By Saturday, Musk appeared to still be focused on the interview.
“She is a traitor to the West, plain and simple,” Musk wrote on X on Saturday night, referring to Beddoes.
Journalist and former MSNBC host Mehdi Hasan responded with a pointed criticism of the Tesla CEO and trillionaire.
“Musk did an interview with the editor of the Economist, a posh white woman, centrist, daughter of an army officer,” Hasan wrote in a post on X. “It went badly for Musk. So now she’s a ‘traitor to the West.’ Totally normal response from a normal guy.”
Musk did an interview with the editor of the Economist, a posh white woman, centrist, daughter of an army officer. It went badly for Musk. So now she’s a ‘traitor to the West.’ Totally normal response from a normal guy. — Mehdi Hasan (@mehdirhasan) July 25, 2026