In a move that has stunned both Silicon Valley and Hollywood, Elon Musk, the self-proclaimed “Technoking” of Tesla and master of the social media universe, has yanked his exclusive show from ABC. The reason? According to Musk, ABC’s handling of the Trump and Kamala Harris debate was so appalling that it has disqualified the network from airing any of his groundbreaking content. In Musk’s own words, “They’re a disgrace to the media industry.”
While Musk has never been one to shy away from public feuds, this latest clash takes things to a whole new level. It’s not every day that the man who plans to colonize Mars cancels a major TV deal because of a political debate. But, as Musk watchers know, when Elon is involved, nothing is ever quite ordinary.
The Trump vs. Kamala Harris debate was supposed to be the highlight of the 2024 election season—an epic showdown between two political powerhouses. What viewers got instead was a fact-checking extravaganza led by ABC’s moderators David Muir and Linsey Davis, who seemingly turned the debate into a full-blown audit of Trump’s claims. Every time the former president opened his mouth, it seemed Muir or Davis were there to jump in with a correction.
At one point, Trump’s assertion that Democrats were advocating for “baby executions” was swiftly shot down by Davis, who calmly pointed out that no, there are no laws allowing post-birth abortions. When Trump claimed that immigrants in Ohio were eating people’s pets, Muir fact-checked him in real time, quoting local officials who had denied any such incidents. The interruptions were relentless.
And apparently, so was Musk’s frustration. The tech mogul, who had been watching the debate, took to his favorite platform, X (formerly Twitter), to voice his displeasure. “ABC is a disgrace. This wasn’t a debate—it was a fact-checking ambush,” Musk tweeted. “If I wanted to see someone get interrupted every five seconds, I’d attend a Tesla shareholder meeting.”
In true Musk fashion, he didn’t stop at tweeting. Just hours after the debate, Musk dropped a bombshell: he was pulling his exclusive show, Mars: The Final Frontier, from ABC. The show, which was supposed to follow Musk’s ambitious plans to colonize Mars, had been hyped as the next big thing in reality TV, blending space exploration with Musk’s signature flair for drama.
But Musk was having none of it. “ABC has shown they can’t handle anything without turning it into a circus,” he said in a follow-up tweet. “If they’re this bad with a simple debate, how can I trust them with my Mars mission? They’re not ready for the future.”
Sources close to the production said that ABC executives were blindsided by Musk’s decision. The network had poured millions into promoting Mars: The Final Frontier, and losing the show was a massive financial blow. One executive, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said, “We thought we were working with a visionary. Turns out we were dealing with a diva.”
Mars: The Final Frontier was supposed to be Musk’s grand television debut, a cross between Survivor and Cosmos with Musk serving as both host and space explorer-in-chief. Contestants were to compete for a coveted spot on Musk’s future Mars mission, facing challenges that tested their intellect, grit, and ability to tolerate Musk’s endless musings on Twitter.
ABC had envisioned the show as a ratings juggernaut. It had everything: a tech billionaire with a larger-than-life personality, the promise of interplanetary travel, and enough rocket launches to keep even the most jaded audience member on the edge of their seat.
But all of that is now up in smoke. With Musk pulling the plug, Mars: The Final Frontier will never see the light of day—or, more accurately, the red dust of Mars.
ABC, for its part, has been taking the high road—sort of. In an official statement, the network expressed disappointment over Musk’s decision to cancel the show but stopped short of addressing his “disgrace to the media industry” comment directly.
“We regret that Mr. Musk has chosen to end our partnership prematurely,” the statement read. “While we remain committed to journalistic integrity and fact-based reporting, we respect Mr. Musk’s decision and wish him well in his future endeavors.”
Behind the scenes, however, sources say ABC executives are seething. Losing Musk’s show is a significant blow, both financially and in terms of prestige. Mars: The Final Frontier was supposed to catapult ABC into the future of reality TV, with Musk’s space dreams driving viewer engagement. Now, they’re left scrambling to fill the void.
One anonymous insider offered a more candid take: “We were prepared for Musk’s eccentricities, but this? Pulling a show because we fact-checked Trump? Even for him, this is extreme.”
As with anything Musk-related, the internet quickly took sides. His fans, always quick to defend their hero, praised Musk for standing up to what they see as the biased mainstream media.
“Elon is right!” tweeted one user. “ABC’s fact-checking was out of control. It’s time someone called them out for what they are—propaganda peddlers. #FreeSpeechMars”
Others, however, were less impressed. “So let me get this straight,” wrote another user. “Musk is mad because a news network used facts? Isn’t this the guy who wants to take us to space? Maybe he should fact-check his rocket launches first.”
Memes flooded the internet, with one particularly popular image showing Musk launching a SpaceX rocket with a banner that read, “Fact-check this!” trailing behind it.
With ABC out of the picture, the question on everyone’s mind is: What’s next for Elon Musk’s television ambitions? Insiders say he’s already in talks with other networks and streaming platforms, including Netflix and Hulu, about picking up Mars: The Final Frontier. There’s even speculation that Musk might create his own streaming service, where he can control every aspect of the show without fear of fact-checking interference.
“Knowing Elon, he’ll probably broadcast the show live from one of his Starlink satellites,” joked one industry expert. “He’s not the type to let a little network squabble stop him from putting his face on TV.”
Musk’s decision to pull his show from ABC may be the latest in a series of high-profile clashes between tech moguls and the media. As billionaires like Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg continue to expand their empires into the world of content creation, the question of who controls the narrative—and how that narrative is fact-checked—will only become more pressing.
For now, though, Musk is content to let ABC twist in the wind, while he plots his next move. Whether Mars: The Final Frontier ever sees the light of day—or the light of Mars—remains to be seen. But one thing is certain: wherever Musk goes, controversy is sure to follow.
