Fact Check: Did Elon Musk say he has a plan to prevent Democrats from winning the midterm?

WASHINGTON, DC: As Republicans are projected to lose the upcoming midterm elections, a social media post claims Tesla CEO Elon Musk said he has a plan to prevent Democrats from winning the election. The claim has sparked concern and criticism, with users calling for a fact-check.

Claim: Elon Musk plans to prevent Democrats from winning midterms

The rumor spread as a screenshot of a post by Musk on his official X handle.

The alleged post read, “No one needs to worry about Democrats winning the midterm elections. I have a plan."

The screenshot has spread on multiple social media platforms such as X and Reddit, garnering hundreds of thousands of views and triggering criticism against the Tesla CEO, with many accusing him of planning to rig elections, suggesting that they believe the claim to be true.

Meanwhile, a few others questioned whether Musk really made such a post and called for a fact check.

Fact Check: Elon Musk made no such post

The claim, however, is false, and the screenshot is fabricated, as no such post exists on any of Musk’s official social media handles about the midterm election.

A search on his X account for the post yielded no results that match the text in the viral screenshot.

A Google search to see whether he posted it and then deleted it also yielded no results, which, if true, would not have gone unreported by prominent news outlets, given the controversy of the statement.

Donald Trump retains key powers despite potential midterm loss

The claim surfaced as the Democrats appear to be on track to regain control of the House. 

If they win control of either chamber, it could significantly affect President Donald Trump's legislative agenda, such as slowing or blocking his picks for judges and top officials, but they can’t stop spending bills on their own; the House must agree. 

They will also gain the power to investigate and influence legislation, but they can’t confirm or reject Trump’s nominees, which only the Senate does. 

However, losing one or both chambers doesn’t strip the president of authority, as Trump would still be able to issue executive orders, enforce the laws already on the books, and direct federal agencies as he sees fit, and has plenty of room to maneuver in foreign policy, too.