MSNBC is getting a lot of attention online for sharing their op-ed about how some people on the far right are really into fitness and workouts, NY Post reported. This has led to Elon Musk and Joe Rogan making fun of the network because they think it’s silly to compare the popularity of being healthy to the Nazis.
MSNBC’s article explores how extremists and far-right groups are drawn to physical fitness due to its association with masculine ideals and preparation for perceived conflicts. The opinion piece states that the far-right promotes fitness o cultivate personal virtues and present themselves in a certain way to the public.
Elon Musk, Joe Rogan mock MSNBC op-ed comparison of the workouts craze of far right to the Nazis
MSNBC’s tweet on Monday shared an old opinion piece by extremism expert Cynthia Miller-Idriss. The article claimed that the far right has been using the fitness trends that became popular during the pandemic to their advantage. In the piece, Miller-Idriss even compared certain fitness influencers to Adolf Hitler, who had an interest in boxing and jujitsu to attract supporters.
MSNBC’s tweet quickly gained a lot of attention, with more 30 million views, but it also received a lot of criticism and ridicule.
MSNBC thinks you’re a nazi if you work out lmaooo
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) July 10, 2023
“Being healthy is ‘far right.’ Holy f–k,” podcaster and UFC commentator Joe Rogan also tweeted.
Musk, who has recently resumed martial arts training to potentially challenge his rival Mark Zuckerberg, responded to Joe Rogan’s by stating tweet that “parody & reality are becoming indistinguishable.”
“MSNBC thinks you’re a [N]azi if you work out lmaooo,” tweeted Musk. The Twitter CEO has previously described himself as a liberal. However, he has now been labeling himself as a far-right, according to NY Post.
— Andrew Tate (@Cobratate) July 10, 2023
Andrew Tate also posted a picture of him working out with a trainer. Others ridiculed the piece, saying that MSNBC’s next article would be about “How diabetes can benefit your life.”
Reactions to MSNBC’s resharing of op-ed mentioning far right’s obsession with fitness
Others chimed in and said that they were “doing white supremacy” with their scheduled workouts.
“Being healthy and fit so you don’t need medical care is now far right. Got it,” one person wrote.
It scares you so much that we're strong and healthy, and it should.
— Abby Libby (@abbythelibb_) July 10, 2023
“The far left’s obsession with publishing witless propaganda on @MSNBC is getting toxic,” another person said.
It is unclear why MSNBC chose to share the op-ed again, which was originally published in March 2022.
In the op-ed, Miller-Idriss mentioned that extremists associated with neo-Nazis and white supremacists were actively trying to attract fitness enthusiasts by offering them health advice and strategies for improving their physical well-being.
The MSNBC columnist asserted that physical fitness has always been an important aspect for the far right, drawing a parallel with Hitler and his book “Mein Kampf.”
