Elon Musk has once again pushed a controversial political moment back into the spotlight, this time by amplifying a past remark made by LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman. Musk shared a post on X that referenced Hoffman’s earlier comment while reacting to the assassination attempt on President Donald Trump, reigniting debate across social media and political circles.
Musk wrote on X, “Just a reminder that Reid Hoffman really did say in a public forum that he wished President Trump had been killed in the assassination attempt.”
Musk shared the remark while quoting a post that featured a screenshot from a discussion at the July 2024 Sun Valley conference, a high profile annual event that brings together top technology leaders and major investors.
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The screenshot showed an exchange between Reid Hoffman and venture capitalist Peter Thiel, who has openly backed Trump. In the conversation, Thiel appeared to mock Hoffman for supporting legal efforts against Trump, saying those lawsuits had instead turned Trump into a political “martyr” and ultimately helped boost his standing with voters.
Hoffman replied by saying, “Yeah, I wish I had made him an actual martyr.” Those who were in the room at the time described the comment as sarcastic and part of an intense political exchange. However, it resurfaced days after the assassination attempt on Trump and quickly drew heavy criticism.
After the backlash in 2024, Hoffman said his words were not meant as a literal call for violence. He explained that the line was dark humour meant to take aim at Trump and at Thiel’s political stance. Even with that clarification, the comment continued to spread online, with critics arguing that such language was inappropriate no matter the intent.
By resharing the screenshot, Musk has once again drawn attention to the exchange and intensified scrutiny of how powerful figures in the tech world speak about politics. His post has also revived a broader debate about how remarks made in private settings can resurface much later and carry added weight as political realities shift.
In the past, Hoffman has said that tech leaders should not stay on the sidelines during moments of political uncertainty, arguing that neutrality does not protect companies or individuals from future fallout. Musk’s latest post has brought those earlier views back into public discussion.