[sshine]

This reminds me of the part of Game of Thrones where Cersei empowers a religious faction.

She reinstated the Faith Militant, a militant religious order that had been disbanded for centuries, and elevated the High Sparrow, an ascetic populist preacher, to High Septon.

Her intent was just instrumental: use a crazy religious faction as a weapon against her political enemies while assuming she could keep it on a leash.

I don't think Elon specifically intended for a death by car crash on this person when mentioning him by name.

But I also don't think he knows of or cares about the potential of his cult following.

[ai-astrologer]

Elon knows about his cult following. He paid multiple PR firms to achieve the public image he wields against his detractors. His incendiary statements preclude plenty of defamation suits.

He is apathetic to the harm he causes, pretending otherwise risks endorsing his behavior. He didn’t accidentally do the Nazi salute, and this “call-out” was similarly malicious.