Elon Musk responded to Zanny Minton Beddoes, editor-in-chief of The Economist, during an interview at Tesla's Gigafactory in Texas. Beddoes criticized Musk for his influence on European politics, stating that many people dislike him due to his wealth and his ownership of the platform X. Musk countered her claims by suggesting that more people dislike the media than him, citing his 250 million followers on X as evidence of his support. He stated, 'Maybe some people do loathe me... But the fact that... a quarter billion people follow me is that I think a lot more people actually like me than don’t.'
Musk also pointed out the low public trust in journalists, claiming that only 15% of people have a favorable view of the media. Beddoes acknowledged the low trust but attributed it to polarization on social media, which she argued was exacerbated by Musk's actions on X. Musk maintained that the media is more disliked than he is, stating, 'They hate you. They hate you far more than they hate me.'
The discussion included Musk's political views, particularly his support for the Alternative for Germany party, which he promoted in several posts leading up to Germany's 2025 federal election. A Gallup poll from 2025 indicated that only 28% of Americans trust the media to report news accurately, marking a record low.