Brazil’s First Lady Rosangela da Silva publicly insulted billionaire Elon Musk, owner of X (formerly Twitter), calling for stricter regulation of social media in a fiery moment during a pre-G20 summit event on Saturday.
Speaking on a panel about combating disinformation, Janja was startled by a loud noise, prompting her to quip, “I think it’s Elon Musk.” She then added, “I’m not afraid of you, Elon Musk [hurling foul language at Musk].”
A video of the remark quickly gained traction on X, prompting Musk to respond with a sharp rebuke. “They are going to lose the next election,” he posted, adding two laughing emojis.
The incident further highlights Musk’s strained relationship with Brazil. Earlier this year, the nation’s Supreme Court suspended X for 40 days amid accusations of facilitating disinformation. Leftist President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva supported the measure, emphasizing the importance of curbing false narratives online.
Musk, however, is a known ally of far-right former President Jair Bolsonaro, who has voiced intentions to run in Brazil’s 2026 elections despite a conviction barring him from public office.
Bolsonaro shared a screenshot of Janja’s controversial comment on Saturday, remarking, “We now have another diplomatic problem.”
