HUMZA Yousaf’s war of words with Elon Musk has continued over the weekend with the Twitter/X owner branding the former first minister “super, super racist”.
This isn’t the first time the pair have clashed with one another though. With that in mind, we’ve put together a timeline showing how it came to this point.
You can use our interactive timeline to find out everything you need to know about the pair's interactions so far.
October 26 2023 – Musk claims Yousaf is a ‘blatant racist’
Musk first provoked backlash by accusing Yousaf of being a “blatant racist” after the tech billionaire reacted to a highly selective clip of a speech by the SNP MSP, filmed when he was justice secretary.
The clip in question has often been shared by alt-right figures, suggesting it shows the SNP leader arguing Scotland has too many white people.
Reacting, Musk said on his own account on Twitter/X: “What a blatant racist!”
The short snippet shows Yousaf delivering a speech to Holyrood on June 10 2020, when he was justice minister.
In the speech, Yousaf highlights how most senior positions in Scotland are filled by people who are white – giving a range of examples to back up his statement.
The speech did not assert that white people make up too large a proportion of Scotland’s overall population.
October 27 2023 – Yousaf responds to Musk
The day after Musk’s initial tweet, we told how he faced a significant backlash before Yousaf himself posted a response.
At the time, the Glasgow Pollok MSP was still first minister and took to Twitter/X to share his response.
Racists foaming at the mouth at my very existence. Me: pic.twitter.com/DsKRWRhnIy
— Humza Yousaf (@HumzaYousaf) October 27, 2023
He said “racists foaming at the mouth at my very existence” before sharing a Gif of Navid from Still Game dancing to describe his attitude towards them.
August 4 2024 – Musk says ‘civil war is inevitable’
Musk’s ownership of Twitter/X has been mired in controversy since his takeover, particular surrounding concerns with disinformation.
We told how this was an issue when the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Act 2021 came into force.
Disinformation concerns have been in the spotlight once again in recent weeks following far-right riots in England and Northern Ireland.
Downing Street was forced to intervene following unverified claims that the suspect in the Southport stabbings was an asylum seeker who had arrived in the UK by boat.
The suspect was later named as 17-year-old Axel Rudakubana.
In response, Musk claimed “civil war is inevitable” in response to a post blaming the violent protests in England and Northern Ireland on “mass migration and open borders”.
August 9 2024 – Humza Yousaf appears on CNN
On August 9, we told how Humza Yousaf had given an interview with US news outlet CNN accusing Elon Musk of “amplifying white supremacy”.
Yousaf said: “He (Musk) is, I would suggest, one of the most dangerous men on the planet.
“He uses his billions, he is unaccountable to anyone, to amplify far-right, white supremacist ideology.
It is not the working class that is responsible for spreading disinformation about Muslims and migrants. It is men with power and wealth like Elon Musk and Nigel Farage who amplify far-right conspiracy theories. We must get organised and confront their hateful ideology. pic.twitter.com/VhpyVzihBS
— Humza Yousaf (@HumzaYousaf) August 8, 2024
“He has suggested, I think is hoping for, civil war in some parts of Europe, including in the UK.
“And instead of using X as a platform for good, and using his enormous wealth for good, he is using it, I think, for the most wicked evil possible.”
August 11 2024 – Legal warning
Reports in the Sunday Mail on August 11 suggested Yousaf was “exploring all options,” including legal action, in response to Musk calling him “super, super racist”.
Musk also commented: “Scotland gave him everything and yet he loathes white people.”
Figures within the Scottish independence movement rallied around Yousaf with SNP MP Pete Wishart among those to criticise Musk.
Writing on Sunday, Yousaf said: “Elon Musk is a dangerous race baiter who must be held to account for his actions.
"I can’t think what it is that upsets him so much about a Brown, Muslim, progressive politician?
“But his billions won’t stop me calling out his support for the far-right.”
Musk posted a bizarre response to the legal warning as he called the former first minister a “scumbag”.
He said: “He’s obviously super racist against white people. I dare that scumbag to sue me. Go ahead … make my day.
“Legal discovery will show that however big a racist he’s been in public communications, he is vastly worse in private communications.”
