In a heated exchange on the daytime talk show “The View,” actor Alec Baldwin called out tech mogul Elon Musk, calling him a “scumbag” and criticizing his treatment of workers.
The incident occurred during a discussion about Musk’s recent controversial tweets about the COVID-19 pandemic. Baldwin, a frequent critic of Musk, took the opportunity to air his grievances about the billionaire’s business practices.
“He’s a scumbag, plain and simple,” Baldwin said. “He treats his workers like crap and doesn’t care about anything except making more money.”
Baldwin went on to accuse Musk of exploiting his workers and creating unsafe working conditions at his factories. He also criticized Musk for his involvement in space exploration, saying that the money would be better spent on social programs and infrastructure.
The comments did not sit well with some of the other hosts on “The View,” who accused Baldwin of being too harsh on Musk.
“He’s an innovator and a visionary,” co-host Sunny Hostin said. “You can’t deny that he’s done a lot of good for the world.”
Despite the pushback, Baldwin stood his ground, saying that he would continue to speak out against Musk and other wealthy individuals who he believes are putting profits over people.
“I’m not going to back down,” he said. “Someone needs to hold these guys accountable.”
Musk has not responded to Baldwin’s comments directly, but he did tweet shortly after the episode aired, saying that he is focused on “moving humanity forward” and that he is “not interested in engaging with petty criticisms.”