In a shocking move that has rattled the media world, tech mogul and Twitter extraordinaire Elon Musk has officially pulled his $1 billion show from CBS. Following what Musk called an “extremely biased” vice-presidential debate hosted by the network, the billionaire decided it was time to cut ties, calling CBS “the most unwatchable, agenda-driven network out there.” Musk didn’t mince words as he declared, “CBS is toast.”
Musk, who has never been shy about voicing his opinions (especially on Twitter, where he seems to live rent-free), wasted no time after the debate to announce his decision. The debate between Republican candidate J.D. Vance and Democrat Tim Walz, hosted by CBS, was already under scrutiny for its controversial moderation. Still, Musk’s reaction took things to a whole new level, with the world’s wealthiest man promising that CBS would “never see a cent of his money again.”
For those not keeping track, Musk’s show on CBS, a highly anticipated, albeit mysterious, venture, was rumored to be one of the most expensive television projects in the making. Some claimed it would be a sci-fi docuseries where Musk personally teaches aliens how to code. Others speculated it would be a reality show about life on Mars, hosted from SpaceX’s private shuttle. But alas, none of us will know now, because, as Musk put it, “CBS doesn’t deserve to broadcast anything remotely interesting.”
In true Elon fashion, Musk took to Twitter to make the announcement. “After watching that CBS debate, it’s clear they’ve forgotten what journalism is. Extreme bias is putting it lightly. No wonder they’re losing advertisers faster than a Tesla in Ludicrous mode.”
Within minutes of his post, the hashtag #CBSToast was trending, with fans of Musk (and critics of CBS) piling on. Memes featuring toasted bread and melted butter over the CBS logo flooded social media. One particularly viral tweet read, “If Elon says CBS is toast, I guess I’ll need to switch to waffles.”
The debate in question was already under fire before Musk stepped in. Moderated by CBS, it quickly turned into what critics called a “fact-check frenzy” with J.D. Vance being interrupted more times than a toddler at a toy store. Vance’s camp accused the moderators of bias, claiming they had it out for the Republican candidate from the start. And while Tim Walz got his fair share of fact-checks, it seemed Vance was in the crosshairs most of the night.
Enter Elon Musk, who, like many of his Twitter followers, was watching the debate in horror—or so he claimed. Musk reportedly texted several high-profile friends during the debate, asking if they were witnessing what he called “the death of unbiased journalism.”
“Watching CBS tonight was like watching a sinking ship,” Musk said during an impromptu live stream with his loyal fanbase. “They spent more time fact-checking J.D. than letting him talk. How is anyone supposed to hear actual policies when all we hear are corrections?”
