'Go back to South Africa!': Outrage as Democrat rep Nydia Velázquez tells Elon Musk to leave America—Here’s what happened

Democratic Congresswoman Nydia Velázquez (NY) is under fire for telling billionaire Elon Musk to “go back to South Africa” during a fiery public appearance outside the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Her comments, which questioned why Musk was in the United States, have ignited a political storm, with conservatives accusing Democrats of embracing “nativism.”

"It was interesting yesterday—I was watching a video of an interview of Elon Musk where he said the Italians should stay in Italy and the Chinese should stay in China. My question to Elon Musk is—what the hell are you doing here in America?" Velázquez said on Monday evening.

Her remarks, however, were based on a claim that has already been debunked. According to Fox News, the statement she attributed to Musk originated from a misleading social media post about a 2023 interview—one that fact-checking site Snopes deemed ‘false.’

'Unhinged and hypocritical': Critics slam VelázquezVelázquez’s comments triggered a wave of backlash on social media. Jeremy Carl, a Senior Fellow at the Claremont Institute, accused her of singling out Musk for being a ‘White immigrant’ while supporting illegal immigration.

"Nydia Velázquez has finally found an immigrant she doesn’t like," Carl posted on X. "Not the tens of thousands of illegals in her district who live off our tax dollars—but America’s greatest entrepreneur, a White immigrant. When the left tells you who they are, believe them."

Other critics, including House Speaker Mike Johnson’s Rapid Response Director Bobby LaValley and White House Rapid Response team member Greg Price, condemned the remarks as “unhinged.”

Chris Barron, President of Right Turn Strategies, fired back: "Imagine if any Republican said this about any liberal."

Dems vs Musk: A growing feudVelázquez’s attack on Musk comes amid growing Democratic hostility toward the Tesla and SpaceX CEO. Just last week, Democratic Rep. Marcy Kaptur questioned Musk’s loyalty to the US, noting that he has citizenship in three countries and has “just been here 22 years.”

At Monday’s protest, Velázquez and fellow Democrats also took aim at Musk’s involvement with DOGE efforts, claiming they threaten the "soul of our nation."

Musk, a US citizen since 2002, has yet to respond publicly, but the controversy has only deepened the political divide over immigration, free speech, and the role of billionaire entrepreneurs in America.