Elon Musk has announced plans to sue former U.S. Rep. Jamaal Bowman after Bowman falsely labeled him a “Nazi” and a “thief” during a recent appearance on CNN. Bowman, who served two terms representing New York’s 16th Congressional District before losing in a landslide primary defeat last year, appeared on CNN’s NewsNight to discuss the growing trend of left-wing activists confronting Republican lawmakers at town hall events.
Despite the Democratic Party’s approval rating sinking to historic lows and President Trump’s favorability remaining near record highs, left-wing activists, lawmakers, and media outlets like CNN continue to push the narrative that there’s a grassroots surge of public outrage aimed at the Republican Party—primarily in response to cuts driven by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
Democratic National Committee chair Ken Martin highlighted the protests, which started right after his election, as evidence of opposition to the Trump Administration. Bowman became the latest Democrat to promote the narrative on Friday night when he made several unfounded claims about Musk and the supposed widespread opposition to DOGE. This is in contrast to recent polling data, which shows significant support for the initiative.
“This shows again, the American people do not trust Elon Musk and Elon Musk is incompetent in his position,” the former congressman said. And how do we know? Because they fired tens of thousands of people, it was challenged in court, the court said the people have to go back and now the people are coming back. He’s incompetent, he’s a thief, he’s a Nazi, and people don’t trust him. Period.” In response to Bowman’s claim, Musk took to X to announce that he will be taking legal action. “I’ve had enough. Lawsuit inbound,” Musk wrote.
Jamaal Bowman just called Elon Musk an “incompetent thief” and “Nazi” on CNN.
A lawsuit waiting to happen. pic.twitter.com/4ucENS8KT4
— Thomas Hern (@ThomasMHern) March 21, 2025
Elon Musk has never supported Nazi ideology—in fact, he has repeatedly and publicly denounced it. Nonetheless, he recently faced accusations of giving a Nazi salute while speaking at a Trump victory rally. Full video from the event clearly shows the DOGE chief pointing toward someone in the audience before raising his fist in the air. Despite this context, several media outlets and left-wing groups circulated doctored or selectively edited clips in an attempt to falsely portray Musk as making a Nazi gesture.
