'Elon Musk is owned by Chinese Communist Party', claims Trump's ex-advisor Steve Bannon

Former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon lashed out at Tesla CEO Elon Musk and called him a “complete phoney”, adding that the billionaire is "owned" by the Communist Party of China and he will never talk ill about the CCP. Speaking about the SpaceX CEO on the Tim Pool Daily Show Podcast, the former US strategist was giving his reaction to Musk’s comment that he is “open to the idea” of buying the Silicon Valley Bank (TeSVB). 

He further accused the new Twitter head of blocking “anti-CCP” voices ever since he took over the social media platform. “I think until Elon Musk starts letting back on the true anti-CCP people, that he keeps blocked off, myself included,” he said in the podcast. The former White House strategist then went on to lambast Musk and asserted that he is “owned” by the Communist party of China. “He is owned by the Chinese Communist Party…the only thing of real value is Tesla. He uses it for marginals, he sells the stocks. The Shanghai joint venture is 100% controlled by the CCP,” Bannon asserted. 

The right-wing politician called Musk a “total and complete phoney,” who is “owned, locked, stocked and borrowed by the Chinese Communist Party”. During the conversation, the host mentioned how Musk was warned by the CCP to take down the tweet in which Musk speculated that COVID originated from a lab leak. "They wanted him to take down the tweets he did the first time," said Bannon. "Now, he didn't take them down, but you notice he didn't have any more up there after that," he added. 

“@ElonMusk is a total and complete phoney. He is owned – lock, stock, and barrel – by the Chinese Communist Party, and he acts like it.”

–Steve Bannon on @Timcast IRL

Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/UhwKPvBUSu

— Rep. Matt Gaetz (@RepMattGaetz)

Musk lambasts Bannon, calls him 'evil'

The podcast was also attended by Congressman Matt Gaetz, who appeared shocked at Bannon's accusations against Musk. He later clipped the segment in which Bannon criticised the Tesla CEO and shared it on Twitter, tagging Musk and seeking his reaction.

In response, Musk expressed his dislike for Bannon by stating, "I used to think Bannon was smart & evil, but now I realize I was wrong about the first part."    

I used to think Bannon was smart & evil, but now I realize I was wrong about the first part

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk)

What warranted Banon’s reaction?

Banon’s reaction came after Elon Musk gave an affirmative reaction on Twitter buying the Silicon Valley Bank. On Friday, the tech lender bank collapsed, stranding billions of dollars of investors and tech companies. The collapse marked the second-largest bank failure in US history. In the midst of all the chaos, the CEO of the Singaporean Tech giant, Razer, Min-Liang Tan,  proposed the idea that Twitter should acquire the struggling bank. “I think Twitter should buy SVB and become a digital bank,” Tan wrote on Twitter. 

I think Twitter should buy SVB and become a digital bank.

— Min-Liang Tan (@minliangtan)

I’m open to the idea

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk)

Musk expressed his interest and asserted that he is “open to the idea,” the response by Musk stirred a storm online and went viral instantly.