Elon Musk is using homophobia to fight his business battles. The SpaceX CEO deployed a tired old meme against Sean Duffy, the interim NASA administrator, after Duffy threatened one of Musk’s lucrative contracts.
"There has been an increase both in love and in hate for me, due to the inherently tribal nature of politics"
Duffy, who is also Secretary of Transport, appeared on Fox News to announce NASA is opening the lunar landing contract to competitors. He noted SpaceX is “behind schedule” and that NASA won’t “wait for one company,” specifically mentioning Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin.
Musk, predictably, did not take this well. He replied to Duffy on X (formerly Twitter) with a GIF of the 2012 “Why are you gay?” clip. This meme originates from a Ugandan TV segment infamous for its hostility toward activist Pepe Julian Onziema. Uganda has since enacted laws imposing life imprisonment or the death penalty for same-sex intimacy.
Duffy, for the record, is married to Real World alum Rachel Campos-Duffy.
This is standard behaviour for Musk, who frequently uses his platform for discriminatory commentary, including sexist and antisemitic conspiracy theories. He previously attacked Duffy, calling him “Sean Dummy” and claiming he has a “two-digit IQ.”
The conflict occurs as NASA faces severe instability under Trump’s second term. The agency still lacks an official administrator ten months in. Meanwhile, Duffy is reportedly trying to fold NASA into his transportation department.
NASA’s funding is also on the chopping block. The historic Jet Propulsion Lab recently laid off 550 employees. The White House’s 2026 budget proposal could halve the agency’s science funding, an outcome Bill Nye of The Planetary Society called an “extinction-level event.”
While Duffy maneuvers for control, Musk’s preferred candidate for the NASA job, billionaire Jared Isaacman, is reportedly trying to buy favor with a $1 million donation to a MAGA fund.
Duffy ignored Musk’s slur and tweeted, “Love the passion. The race to the Moon is ON. Great companies shouldn’t be afraid of a challenge.” Musk’s actual influence in Washington is unclear, but SpaceX remains a primary contractor for NASA and the Pentagon, for now.
Elon Musk Calls NASA Chief “Gay” Over Space Contract
Elon Musk is using homophobia to fight his business battles. The SpaceX CEO deployed a tired old meme against Sean Duffy, the interim NASA administrator, after Duffy threatened one of Musk’s lucrative contracts.
Duffy, who is also Secretary of Transport, appeared on Fox News to announce NASA is opening the lunar landing contract to competitors. He noted SpaceX is “behind schedule” and that NASA won’t “wait for one company,” specifically mentioning Jeff Bezos’s Blue Origin.
Musk, predictably, did not take this well. He replied to Duffy on X (formerly Twitter) with a GIF of the 2012 “Why are you gay?” clip. This meme originates from a Ugandan TV segment infamous for its hostility toward activist Pepe Julian Onziema. Uganda has since enacted laws imposing life imprisonment or the death penalty for same-sex intimacy.
Duffy, for the record, is married to Real World alum Rachel Campos-Duffy.
This is standard behaviour for Musk, who frequently uses his platform for discriminatory commentary, including sexist and antisemitic conspiracy theories. He previously attacked Duffy, calling him “Sean Dummy” and claiming he has a “two-digit IQ.”
The conflict occurs as NASA faces severe instability under Trump’s second term. The agency still lacks an official administrator ten months in. Meanwhile, Duffy is reportedly trying to fold NASA into his transportation department.
NASA’s funding is also on the chopping block. The historic Jet Propulsion Lab recently laid off 550 employees. The White House’s 2026 budget proposal could halve the agency’s science funding, an outcome Bill Nye of The Planetary Society called an “extinction-level event.”
While Duffy maneuvers for control, Musk’s preferred candidate for the NASA job, billionaire Jared Isaacman, is reportedly trying to buy favor with a $1 million donation to a MAGA fund.
Duffy ignored Musk’s slur and tweeted, “Love the passion. The race to the Moon is ON. Great companies shouldn’t be afraid of a challenge.” Musk’s actual influence in Washington is unclear, but SpaceX remains a primary contractor for NASA and the Pentagon, for now.
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