Fact Check: Is Elon Musk really buying McDonald's and CNN as Donald Trump makes his comeback?

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Is Elon Musk buying McDonald's and CNN? At least that's the buzz lighting up the internet after Donald Trump’s big win in the presidential election.

Social media has been inundated with posts claiming that Musk has "officially" decided to acquire the fast-food behemoth and is even planning to buy CNN as part of his quest to "fix the media."

The rumor centers on allegations that major networks like CNN have become too friendly with the Democrats. Musk — who has been grabbing headlines for his support of Trump — is now set to be anointed as a major player in the new administration.

The truth about Elon Musk buying McDonald’s and CNN

The lead-up to the 2024 election between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump was definitely a wild ride as the two locked horns on everything from immigration policies to abortion rights. At some point, McDonald's got pulled into the conversation as well.

Harris shared a story claiming she had once worked at a McDonald’s, a claim Trump was quick to dismiss — even taking his campaign to a McDonald's outlet and serving fries to drive-thru customers in a McDonald's apron.

Meanwhile, rumors about Musk entering the fast-food industry started swirling, especially after he was previously linked to possibly buying Ford right after Trump’s landslide victory. Now, people are suggesting he’s planning to "dip his toes into fast food" by acquiring McDonald's.

"Musk has officially announced: ‘I am officially buying McDonald’s,’" said a narrator in a viral video shared on Facebook on October 30.

As exciting as that sounds, it’s simply not true. Neither Elon Musk nor McDonald's has made any official statements about such a deal. The video making these claims provides no concrete evidence and the whole thing was quickly debunked. Meta even flagged the video in its efforts to combat fake news, Politifact reported.

In reality, the only notable interaction between Musk and McDonald's happened back in 2022. Musk joked on X (then Twitter) that he’d eat a Happy Meal on live TV if McDonald's started accepting Dogecoin as a form of payment. McDonald's playfully replied by suggesting they’d create a fictional "Grimacecoin," but it was all in good fun with no real business intentions.

Another rumor that's been making the rounds is that Musk has agreed to buy CNN for a whopping $3 billion. Social media posts suggest that the billionaire CEO is ready to acquire the news network, claiming he said: “I’ll fix the media, one network at a time.”

“Elon Musk Agrees to $3 Billion to Buy CNN,” read a viral post caption on Threads. “Elon Musk Reportedly Eyeing CNN Acquisition: ‘I’ll Fix the Media, One Network at a Time,’” the post added.

While it’s true that Musk was a massive donor for the Republicans in this election cycle, there’s no real evidence to support the idea that he’s buying CNN for $3 billion. Despite the rumor spreading like wildfire across platforms like Facebook and X, the claim appears to have originated from a satirical account named Gridiron Glory.

The account clearly identifies itself as satire, but that hasn’t stopped people from taking the joke seriously and sharing it as fact.

Elon Musk to head Donald Trump’s new DOGE department

This comes as Elon Musk was welcomed to become a part of Donald Trump’s new administration. Trump has announced that Musk — alongside former presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy — will head a brand-new department called DOGE, which stands for the "Department of Government Efficiency."

Trump, of course, had a lot to say about his choice. “Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies,” he declared.

At first, there was skepticism about Musk joining the government, given his demanding roles at Tesla, SpaceX, and other ventures. But Trump’s plan included the creation of a new government efficiency commission as part of a larger economic strategy he unveiled back in September.

Not everyone is thrilled about this new role for Musk, especially on the other side of the aisle.

Senator Elizabeth Warren, a Democrat from Massachusetts, was quick to voice her disapproval. She took to X to slam the move in a sarcastic post.

“The Office of Government Efficiency is off to a great start with split leadership: two people to do the work of one person. Yeah, this seems REALLY efficient,” she wrote, directly poking fun at the appointment of Musk and Ramaswamy.

Musk, never one to back down, shot back with his own barb. “Unlike you, neither of us are being paid, so it is very efficient indeed. DOGE will do great things for the American people. Let history be the judge,” he responded.

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