Elon Musk, the CEO of several major technology companies, has called Sandrine Rousseau, a deputy from France's Green Party, a "traitor to France" after she criticized him on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter. Rousseau had previously called Musk a "supremacist bastard" and urged left-wing politicians to leave the platform. She argued that by staying on X, left-wing voices risked allowing far-right perspectives to dominate and "eat each other's faces." Rousseau left the platform in January 2025, expressing concerns about how Musk's leadership had transformed X into a "machine of disinformation" and a "weapon of mass destruction for current reality." She also criticized the concentration of media power and promised to "destroy the Bolloré empire" — referring to a major French media and logistics company — if her party comes to power in 2027. The exchange between Musk and Rousseau began in September 2020, when Rousseau gave a speech at the Fête de l’Humanité, a left-wing political event. Her comments on Musk were met with a strong response, including the label "traitor to France." This incident is part of a broader pattern of tension between Musk and French politicians. Earlier, Musk accused another French politician, Marine Tondelier, of "treason to France" after she suggested that banning platforms like X during elections might be necessary to prevent misinformation. Tondelier countered that France does not need lessons on patriotism from a foreign billionaire who believes he can decide which European politicians should be silenced. In addition to the political tensions, Musk is also facing legal challenges in France. In May 2024, the Stop Homophobia association filed a complaint against him over his insults directed at French judges on X. This comes amid an ongoing judicial investigation in France into Musk's activities. The legal actions reflect growing scrutiny of Musk's conduct, both in the public sphere and under the law. The exchanges between Musk and French politicians highlight the increasing influence of social media platforms in political discourse and the tensions that arise when private individuals wield significant public influence. As these conflicts continue, they raise questions about the role of tech leaders in shaping political narratives and the limits of free speech in digital spaces.