Former U.S. President Donald Trump has publicly supported Elon Musk following the European Union's €120 million (approximately $140 million) fine against social media platform X, calling the penalty "outrageous" and questioning the EU's justification for the move.
Speaking at a White House event, Trump criticized the EU's decision, stating, "Europe is heading in the wrong direction." He added that he could not understand how the EU could defend such an action and emphasized that Musk had not reached out to him for assistance. "Europe must be very careful," Trump warned.
The fine, issued last week by EU regulators, was imposed on X for violating online content rules, including failing to provide researchers with access to public data, incomplete ad repository disclosures, and deceptive design in its verification system.
Musk dismissed the penalty on his platform, responding to the EU's announcement with "nonsense" and sharing posts criticizing the decision. "Free speech is the bedrock of democracy and the only way to know who you’re voting for," he wrote.
U.S. officials, including Senator Marco Rubio and FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr, condemned the fine as an attack on American businesses.
EU Digital Affairs Commissioner Henna Virkkunen defended the fine, stating it was proportionate and clarifying that the Digital Services Act (DSA) has "nothing to do with censorship." The European Commission emphasized that its regulations apply without nationality bias, aiming to uphold digital and democratic standards.
Notably, Musk had claimed the EU was targeting him personally, but EU spokesperson Thomas Regnier clarified that the DSA does not impose fines on individuals—only on corporate entities, including X's Irish subsidiary, X Holdings, and related affiliates like xAI.
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