Elon Musk to buy McDonald’s and CNN as Trump returns? Wild claims surface, here’s the truth
Is Elon Musk buying McDonald’s and CNN? That’s the latest viral claim making the rounds since Donald Trump’s election win.
According to social media posts, Musk is reportedly “officially” acquiring the fast-food giant and eyeing CNN as part of his mission to “fix the media,” after allegations that they are too Democratic-friendly. Meanwhile, the Tesla owner is grabbing a lot of headlines for being a staunch Republican supporter and now securing a prominent place in the Trump administration.
The truth behind Musk buying Mcdonald’s and CNN
During the lead-up to the 2024 presidential election between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, discussions ranged from immigration to abortion, while McDonald’s got its own months of fame after Harris claimed she once worked there, and Trump attempted to refute her statement, even pitching his campaign from one of the chain’s outlets. Meanwhile, Musk, who was previously rumored to be buying Ford following Trump’s big win, is now allegedly set to “dip his toes into fast food” by acquiring the fast food giant.
Claim: “Musk has officially announced: ‘I am officially buying McDonald’s,’” a narrator says in a video shared in an Oct. 30 Facebook post.
The Truth: While this sounds intriguing, it’s not grounded in reality. Neither Musk nor McDonald’s has made any such announcement, and the claims are quickly debunked. The video offers zero evidence to back up this juicy claim. Of course, Meta flagged it as part of their ongoing battle against fake news.
The only intriguing crossover between the two we remember was probably back in 2022, when Musk joked on Twitter that he would eat a Happy Meal on TV if McDonald’s accepted Dogecoin as payment. McDonald’s responded with a playful offer of their own “Grimacecoin,” but that was just for fun.
Claim: “Elon Musk Agrees to $3 Billion to Buy CNN,” reads the post’s caption. “Elon Musk Reportedly Eyeing CNN Acquisition: ‘I’ll Fix the Media, One Network at a Time.’”
The Truth: After the Republican victory, Elon Musk, their biggest donor this election cycle, was rumored to be purchasing major legacy media outlets, including CNN and Fox News. However, there is no evidence to support the claim that Musk is acquiring CNN for $3 billion, despite the post gaining thousands of retweets and shares. The claim, posted on Facebook on Nov. 4, originated from a satirical account called Gridiron Glory, which clearly labels itself as satire.
Elon Musk to lead DOGE
“Together, these two wonderful Americans will pave the way for my Administration to dismantle Government Bureaucracy, slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies,” Donald Trump said, highlighting his new cabinet appointments. He recently announced that Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, his two biggest supporters, would lead the newly created department, DOGE.
Initially skeptical about Musk’s involvement in government due to his commitments to his multi-million-dollar companies, Trump later proposed the creation of a government efficiency commission as part of his broader economic agenda unveiled in early September, and guess he was not just bluffing.
Responding to the announcement the Space X CEO said, “Unlike you, neither of us are being paid, so it is very efficient indeed. DOGE will do great things for the American people. Let history be the judge.”