X CEO Elon Musk shared a meme about Iran and an irate Adam Kinzinger, the former Congressman from Illinois and a member of the Democrats’ January 6 Committee, accused him of “loving” the rogue nation, demanding that his military contractor credentials be revoked.
Over the weekend, Musk posted a meme that showed Iran surrounded by American flags meant to represent U.S. military bases.
“Iran wants war,” the image is captioned. “Look how close they put their country to our military bases.”
Musk added his own commentary: “Oh the Irany.”
Which, judging by his sense of humor, was probably the main pun he wanted to share with his followers.
The problem is, as journalist Shayan Sardarizadeh of the BBC wrote on X (formerly known as Twitter), that the map is not an accurate depiction of the location of military bases.
Musk’s post is still active, though it appears to have a community note added that can only be seen by community note contributors.
The US does not have military bases in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Turkmenistan. pic.twitter.com/hZpurdCq43
— Shayan Sardarizadeh (@Shayan86) October 28, 2023
Kinzinger’s Claws Are Out For Musk
Listen – misinformation is misinformation and should be called out at every opportunity, no matter what side of the aisle you’re on.
And Musk, did in fact, share a meme containing false information. But he owned up to it, even admitting to being grateful for Community Notes dinging his post because it “proves that no one is free from being corrected!”
I love getting Noted – proves that no one is free from being corrected!
This is obviously a joke meme, but there is more than a grain of truth to it. We should aspire to see things from the point of view of others.
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 28, 2023
That said, former Representative Adam Kinzinger (R-IL) should be the last person outraged at somebody sharing peace propaganda, considering his record.
Yet Kinzinger shared his outrage over Musk’s “joke meme,” calling the social media guru “dangerous” and demanding his military contractor licenses be pulled.
“He is such an idiot. HOW IS HE A MILITARY CONTRACTOR???” Kinzinger responded. “Rip his creds.”
“This guy is dangerous,” he later added. “He loves Iran now.”
This guy is dangerous. He loves Iran now
— Adam Kinzinger (Slava Ukraini) ?????? (@AdamKinzinger) October 28, 2023
Kinzinger’s Moronic Tendencies
Adam Kinzinger is no stranger to sharing misinformation. At the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Kinzinger willingly shared a fake story about the “Ghost of Kyiv” complete with comedian Samuel Hyde’s face obviously photoshopped on a pilot.
He spread a fake quote that was supposed to have been made by former Fox News host Tucker Carlson as a means to suggest that he was a Russian asset.
Anti-Trump congressman @AdamKinzinger again fell for another hoax. He believed the fake Tucker Carlson quote in addition to previously falling for the Sam Hyde “ghost of Kyiv” pilot meme. Kinzinger was lampooned on Carlson’s show for his gullibility. https://t.co/8kPFwIy3Cv pic.twitter.com/4z7yL6KiH4
— Andy Ngô ?️? (@MrAndyNgo) April 6, 2022
And he sat as one of the Republicans on the J6 Committee which, if misinformation were an Olympic event, he would have been standing tall with his hand raised 8 feet in the air on a 3-foot podium accepting the gold.
That committee consistently pushed easily debunked conspiracy theories and doctored alleged evidence.
With his reputation in tatters, followers on X ran Kinzinger through the ringer for going after Musk.
Here is but a small sampling of the ratio action:
Are you always a douchebag? Cause you sound like it.
— Buzz Patterson (@BuzzPatterson) October 28, 2023
No amount of suburban woman posting you do on the internet will deflect from the fact that you’re 5’9”. Pipe down willow
— TrashDiscourse (@ThaWoodChipper) October 28, 2023
Not wanting to set off WWIII by going to war with Iran makes someone “dangerous”??
Big if true.
— Axiomatic Enemy of the State (@DeTocqueville14) October 28, 2023
Whatever you may think of Musk, he has consistently been on the side of peace and keeping the United States out of war situations. He even reportedly prevented a nuclear strike by Russia against Ukraine.
And isn’t that really what Kinzinger is mad at? Anybody who doesn’t want to see World War III is the enemy in his eyes.
Earlier this week, Musk mocked the former lawmaker for his post declaring that he was “mentally preparing” to leave Twitter.
Musk fired back, “He doesn’t like his lies being questioned.”
He doesn’t like his lies being questioned
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 28, 2023
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