What's New
British politicians have rebuked Elon Musk after the tech billionaire called Safeguarding Minister Jess Philips a "rape genocide apologist" who "deserves to be in prison" over her response to a 2013 scandal in Yorkshire in which 1,400 underage girls had been groomed and trafficked for sex between 1997 and 2013.
Newsweek has reached out to Musk, through Tesla, and the offices of Philips and Health Secretary Wes Streeting via email for comment.
Why It Matters
In the past month, Musk—the billionaire who has been tapped by Donald Trump to co-lead the new Department of Government Efficiency—has revealed that he might invest about $127 million into the fledgling right-wing Reform U.K. Party, and he has resurrected the decade-old Rotherham controversy in an effort to attack British Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and members of his Labour Party.
What To Know
Musk's criticism stemmed from Phillips' decision rejected a request for the government to lead a public inquiry into the scandal, instead she suggested the local council investigate it.
Britain's right-wing parties Reform and the Conservatives have criticized the decision, saying that the central government should lead an inquiry.
In a Friday post on X, formerly Twitter, the social media platform he owns, Musk accused Phillips of being a "rape genocide apologist." The post was viewed 42 million times by Sunday.
Before serving as prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer was the director of public prosecutions when the trafficking gangs were operating. Musk suggested this made him complicit in the crime.
Streeting defended Phillips, stating on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg that Musk's comments were "ill-judged" and "a disgraceful smear."
Streeting highlighted Phillips' career supporting victims of sexual abuse, saying she had "done more than most people ever do" to tackle violence against women.
Conservative MP Chris Philp also condemned Musk's remarks, calling them "not appropriate," but argued Musk was "right to be raising the general issue".
What People Are Saying
Chris Philp, shadow home secretary, to the BBC: "I think some of the specific language he [Musk] used about Jess Phillips is not appropriate, but raising the issue as he has done generally I think is reasonable because vulnerable young girls were let down by the system,"
Wes Streeting, health secretary, to the BBC: "It is a disgraceful smear of a great woman who has spent her life supporting victims of the kind of violence that Elon Musk and others say that they're against."
Elon Musk, on X: "Jess Philips is a rape genocide apologist."
What Happens Next
Musk is unlikely to disappear any time soon, especially as he has doubled down on his effort to promote Alternative for Germany, a right-wing party ahead of the country's snap election.
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