German luxury car maker BMW was trolled on Thursday after its UK unit abruptly announcing that it was “no longer posting” on X — a move attributed by many users as a bizarre way to protest the social media site’s owner Elon Musk.
Musk has faced scrutiny this week after twice extending his arm in an awkward gesture that critics called a “Nazi salute” during an appearance at President Trump’s inauguration.
“We’re no longer posting on X,” BMW UK wrote on its official X account — without providing a reason for its decision.
“Don’t worry though, our Customer Support team is still here if you need us. You can also see all the latest BMW news by following us on Facebook and Instagram at BMWUK.”
The company was quickly lambasted by X users, who pointed to BMW’s own fraught history with Nazi Germany.
“This you?” alt-right activist Jack Posobiec wrote, and posted a black-and-white photo of Adolf Hitler touring a BMW facility.
Republican Utah Sen. Mike Lee even called for a boycott of the brand that touts itself as “ultimate driving machine.”
“BMW = “Becoming More Woke,’” Lee wrote on X. “Don’t buy their cars.”
In 2016, the company expressed “profound regret” for the “enormous suffering” caused by its use of slave labor during World War II.
“Elon just said ‘my heart goes out to you.’ You on the other hand… Your early history is not too clean, is it?” X user @Left_Right_2 said.
One user quipped that BMW’s announcement was a “historic event” that “marks the first time a BMW has signaled before lane departure.”
Sawyer Merritt, who runs a prominent X account that frequently interacts with Musk, panned the BMW UK account.
“Their posts got an average of 12 likes,” Merritt wrote.
When reached for comment, a BMW UK spokesman said the division would “continue to be active on X” despite no longer posting on the account.
The spokesman did not respond to questions about whether Musk’s behavior had prompted the move.
“The social media presence of BMW Group brands is managed by each country/region to address their unique requirements,” the spokesman said in a statement.
“In the UK we’ll continue to be active on X, providing a dedicated customer support channel to meet the needs of our customers,” the spokesman added.
“This approach will differ across our brands and regions, reflecting the specific needs of each market.”
Musk, 55, has fired back at those who accused him of giving a Nazi salute.
“Frankly, they need better dirty tricks. The ‘everyone is Hitler’ attack is sooo tired,” Musk, said in a post on X.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was among those who came to Musk’s defense.
“Elon is a great friend of Israel. He visited Israel after the October 7 massacre in which Hamas terrorists committed the worst atrocity against the Jewish people since the Holocaust,” Netanyahu said.
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