Elon Musk has taken aim at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), branding it as the "Pravda" of the Australian government after the ABC chairman Kim Williams made strong remarks about podcast host Joe Rogan.

The comments came following Williams' criticism of Rogan’s influence on American audiences, which he described as “deeply repulsive.”

From the head of Australian government-funded media, their Pravda https://t.co/T9KCf6oNbk

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 27, 2024

Williams voiced his concerns during his first Melbourne Press Club address in over a decade. He expressed alarm at Rogan's extensive influence, particularly over male listeners in the United States.

“I am not a consumer or enthusiast about Rogan and his work,” Williams said, adding that Rogan and others like him prey on vulnerabilities, anxiety, and uncertainty within society. "They entrepreneur fantasy outcomes and conspiracy outcomes as being a normal part of social narrative," Williams claimed.

LOL WUT https://t.co/xXJ9DlYr55

— Joe Rogan (@joerogan) November 27, 2024

Rogan quickly responded to the comments, sharing a clip of Williams’ speech on social media with the message “LOL WUT.” Musk then joined in, retweeting Rogan’s post and calling Williams the head of "Australian government-funded media, their Pravda."

Williams, however, remained steadfast in his criticism of Rogan, particularly in relation to his stance on COVID-19 vaccinations, which he had publicly questioned in 2020 and 2021. Williams condemned Rogan’s scepticism, stating, “I don’t think people have unlimited license to say what they want, simply because they believe something to be so.”

Joe Rogan is REPULSIVE he literally manipulated footage to make it look like soldiers had committed war crimes. Oh wait. No. That was the ABC. https://t.co/IMHtAgsLhy

— Nathan Livingstone (MilkBarTV) (@TheMilkBarTV) November 27, 2024

During the press club address, Williams also urged for greater public investment in the ABC, citing the diminishing funding the broadcaster had received over the past decade. He expressed a desire for the ABC to engage more with younger audiences, highlighting the importance of reconnecting with younger generations for the broadcaster's democratic and cultural responsibility.

Williams' comments have drawn a wave of backlash from Rogan’s supporters, which Williams described as "vicious" and "unbelievably aggressive."

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