Chasten Buttigieg, the husband of Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, has blasted Elon Musk over a recent tweet.
Musk, the world’s richest man and the owner of X, reshared a tweet about homelessness a couple of days ago. It linked to a San Francisco Chronicle article that explored the city’s attempts to tackle homelessness. This includes housing some individuals in old, rundown hotels. Some of those given accommodation still struggle to look after themselves or exhibit anti-social behavior.
Musk said, “In most cases, the word ‘homeless’ is a lie. It’s usually a propaganda word for violent drug addicts with severe mental illness.”
Chasten Buttigieg reshared Musk’s tweet and said, “Imagine going to bed with hundreds of billions of dollars, knowing damn well there are over two million homeless children in this country, and tweeting this instead of writing a check.”
Join the frontline of change
Be informed, be inspired, and be part of the conversation that’s shaping a queerer world with our newsletter.
Imagine going to bed with hundreds of billions of dollars, knowing damn well there are over two million homeless children in this country, and tweeting this instead of writing a check. https://t.co/zH1JchLPRi
— Chasten Glezman Buttigieg (@Chasten) December 11, 2024
Buttigieg went on to link to an article suggesting ‘5 facts Elon Musk should learn about homelessness‘. This includes that around 17% of the homeless in the US are children, and “Tens of thousands of unhoused people are veterans.”
Homelessness also disproportionately impacts queer people. Studies show between 11% and 40% of homeless youth identifying as LGBTQ+.
Buttigieg was far from the only person to blast Musk over his tweet.
The richest man in the country is going to tell us what 'homeless' means… totally relatable!
— ChipD (@dd_chip) December 10, 2024
Sorry, but the world’s richest man should probably sit this one out. We have a lot of veterans who are homeless in this country and it’s not okay.
— Freedom 2 Fart (@Freedom2Fart) December 10, 2024
First having worked with the homeless, what Elon is saying is not true the vast majority of homeless are not severely mentally ill or drug addicts they just need a place to live. Elon is not offering any answers other than criticism. https://t.co/Aun8nAEzIY
— Omar Reyes (@trueanglican) December 10, 2024
People have a better chance at becoming homeless than becoming a billionaire. Btw, most homelessness isn't caused by drug use, it's caused by unaffordability, lack of housing and evictions.
— guyfelicella (@guyfelicella) December 10, 2024
Even some people who normally respect Musk questioned him.
Dude, I love you for what you have done for this country but you are on the wrong track here.
— dmsimon (@dmsimon) December 10, 2024
During the 2023–2024 school year, more than 146,000 students in New York City experienced homelessness, which is about one in every eight public school children:
Shelters: 60,395…
People become homeless for a multitude of reasons. It follows that they may require a diverse number of tools and support to help lift them out of the situation. Maybe Musk might treat us to his suggestions for how to best help homeless people, rather than simply suggesting ‘homelessness’ is a lie.
Musk considering Florida home
In other Musk-related news, several outlets have reported he is considering buying himself a luxury, high-security home in Palm Beach, close to Mar-A-Lago. Musk has been seen often at Mar-A-Lago following Donald Trump’s election victory.
Elon Musk is reportedly buying a $100 million penthouse near Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago.
— Art Candee 🍿🥤 (@ArtCandee) December 10, 2024
I remember when Elon Musk said he would “own no home" and sold off all of his belongings pretending to be a benevolent billionaire.
What an epic fraud. pic.twitter.com/C0kwbZuy75
Related
And even disgraced former Rep. George Santos believes Mace needs to take a break from posting on social media.
You’d think Musk would know how the ACLU was funded, given he used to be one of its top donors.
Sign up for the INTO newsletter and get your twice-weekly dose of stories that shape the queer experience, culture, and lifestyle.
