Musk was questioned about the claim while in the White House alongside US President Donald Trump [Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images]
Elon Musk has retracted his widely circulated claim that the US government allocated $50 million for condoms in Gaza, admitting the statement was incorrect during questioning at the White House Oval Office on Tuesday.
Musk, who heads the newly established US Department of Government Efficiency, initially echoed former President Donald Trump’s assertion that he had “identified and stopped $50 million being sent to Gaza to buy condoms for Hamas”.
The claim was first publicized by White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt in a press briefing.
However, during an exchange with an Al Arabiya reporter alongside Trump, Musk was confronted with evidence that the $50 million was actually designated for the province of Gaza in Mozambique as part of an HIV prevention program.
Pressed on whether his statements could be trusted, Musk conceded:Â “Some of the things I say will be incorrect and should be corrected.”
Despite the admission, Musk defended his aggressive cost-cutting at USAID, which has sparked a political crisis and legal challenges.
“I’m not sure we should be sending $50 million worth of condoms anywhere,” he remarked. Meanwhile, Trump, who stood beside Musk during the questioning, refused to walk back his statement.
Trump, who was next to Musk at the time of questioning, did not retract his claim.
