Elon Musk’s terse “This is not ok” post on X, paired with a striking image of a masked, shirtless man waving a Mexican flag atop a flaming vehicle in riot-torn Los Angeles, triggered a flurry of reaction from across the political spectrum.

The June 8 tweet from the Tesla and SpaceX CEO appeared to signal alignment with President Donald Trump’s use of the National Guard to deliver a crackdown on rioters protesting federal immigration raids in Southern California. Musk’s post amplified a moment of high political tension as authorities scrambled to contain flare-ups across Los Angeles while online discourse exploded.

Will Tanner, editor at The American Tribune, interpreted Musk’s tweet as contradictory to the billionaire’s recent skepticism of Trump’s immigration legislation, known as the “Big Beautiful Bill.”

“So wouldn’t that mean that passing the bill funding deportations on a grand scale is a good idea?” Tanner wrote. In contrast, Felipe Ogaz Oviedo offered a sharply different response: “Los Angeles was Mexico until 1848. Give back the lands.”

 

Several prominent names seized on the riots as validation of their warnings about mass migration.

Texas Republican Congressman Brandon Gill shared multiple images of protesters waving Mexican flags with the caption, “Import the Third World, become the Third World.”

Andy Ngo, a journalist known for chronicling Antifa activity, posted video footage of what he described as “CHP vehicle[s] on fire” and “officers pushed back under an overpass,” adding, “rioters above [were] throwing rocks and flammable materials.” The video was credited to @CamHigby.

In a more severe tone, Tarrant County GOP Chairman Bo French offered a stark warning, quote-tweeting Ngo’s footage with the message: “If you try this in Texas, you will be shot. That is all.”

 

Trump advisor Stephen Miller added, “Believe it or not, California used to be a paradise. Mass migration has brought us to where we are now.”

Though tensions ran high, California Gov. Gavin Newsom pleaded for calm:

Meanwhile, the Los Angeles Police Department released a statement Saturday claiming the city’s protests had “remained peaceful.” The June 7 news release read, in part, “We commend all those who exercised their First Amendment rights responsibly.” The department warned that it “remains fully prepared to respond swiftly and appropriately to any potential acts of civil unrest.”

However, that framing was swiftly disputed by Libs of TikTok, which posted a screenshot of the LAPD press release and added a community note: “The protests were not ‘peaceful’ and ‘without incident,’” linking to footage of violence.

The unrest began after President Trump’s administration ordered large-scale immigration raids throughout the LA area, prompting outcry and demonstrations in multiple neighborhoods. Trump, Vice President J.D. Vance, and other administration officials characterized the protests as an “insurrection,” with the White House deploying 2,000 National Guard troops to the area—reportedly against the wishes of Gov. Newsom.

The escalating rhetoric marks a dramatic turn in Musk’s relationship with Trump. Just days before, the two clashed publicly, with Musk reposting criticism of Trump’s immigration bill and even suggesting, in now-deleted posts, that Trump appeared in the “Epstein files.” The White House responded by threatening to revoke Musk’s government contracts, and Trump declared he had no plans to mend the relationship.

In a final twist, the City of Glendale—just miles from downtown LA—announced on June 8 it would no longer cooperate with ICE. In a statement posted to X, city officials wrote, “After careful consideration, the City of Glendale has decided to end its agreement with U.S. Homeland Security/ICE to house federal immigration detainees. This local decision reflects our core values: public safety, transparency, and community trust.”