Hillary Clinton accuses Elon Musk of suggesting he would rape Taylor Swift

Hillary Clinton described Elon Musk's comments as 'beyond my imagination'
Hillary Clinton described Elon Musk’s comments as ‘beyond my imagination’ - Justin Lane/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock; Mike Segar/Reuters

Hillary Clinton has accused Elon Musk of suggesting he would rape Taylor Swift after he told the pop star: “I will give you a child.”

Mr Musk, the tech billionaire, was widely criticised for writing “fine Taylor… you win… I will give you a child and guard your cats with my life” on his social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

The post was in response to Swift’s endorsement of Kamala Harris, the Democratic presidential candidate, which she signed off as a “childless cat lady”.

The Shake It Off singer was referencing a comment made by JD Vance, Donald Trump’s running mate, that “childless cat ladies” were running the country.

Mrs Clinton, the former secretary of state and New York senator, described Mr Musk’s remarks as “another way of saying rape, I think”.

She told the On with Kara Swisher podcast that the Tesla chief executive’s offer was “rotten and creepy”.

She added: “I can’t understand why he says what he says. It just is beyond my imagination.”

Mrs Clinton characterised Mr Musk, who endorsed her during her 2016 presidential campaign, as one of a number of misogynist tech bosses who “gravitate toward toughness and brutality and machoism”.

She continued: “And here’s Taylor Swift, a self-made billionaire who brings joy to people and who imparts life lessons, particularly to girls and women. They can’t stand it.”

Taylor Swift attends the Video Music Awards on Sept 11, 2024
Taylor Swift as described by Mrs Clinton as ‘a self-made billionaire who brings joy to people’ - Taylor Hill/Getty Images

She said that the singer, who has been the subject of a conspiracy theory that she is a “Pentagon asset” to prevent Trump’s re-election, could have a significant impact on the presidential race.

“Her fanbase is so intense and incredibly influenced by her,” Mrs Clinton said.

“She’s a singer who charts the course of her life – which they relate to as their own lives – but she’s also someone who stood up to a guy who groped her and stood up to get her music back from someone she thought had illegitimately taken it from her.

“She has demonstrated a resilience in taking control over her own life that sends a strong message. I’m a huge admirer. I think [her endorsement] has real impact.”

In a message to her 283 million Instagram followers last week, Swift called Ms Harris a “warrior” before urging her fans to research both candidates when deciding who to vote for.

“I’m voting for Kamala Harris because she fights for the rights and causes I believe need a warrior to champion them,” she said.

“I think she is a steady-handed, gifted leader and I believe we can accomplish so much more in this country if we are led by calm and not chaos.”

Trump, who previously shared fake AI images suggesting he had been endorsed by Swift, appeared disgruntled by the singer’s backing of his Democrat opponent.

“I hate Taylor Swift,” he wrote in block capitals on his Truth Social platform.