Relations between the Spanish government and Elon Musk have deteriorated sharply following a series of posts by the billionaire on the X platform. The platform's owner labeled Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez a "traitor" and "Dirty Sanchez," reacting to government plans to restrict minors' access to social media and a recent reform of migration regulations. Prime Minister Sanchez responded by accusing tech magnates of provoking a sense of insecurity.

Musk's sharp verbal attacks

The owner of platform X called Prime Minister Sanchez a traitor and dirty, commenting on his migration policy and plans to regulate social media for youth.

Spanish Prime Minister's riposte

Pedro Sanchez described Musk's posts as crude and accused billionaires of destabilizing the world through a sense of impunity and arrogance.

Legal problems of AI Grok

Simultaneously, the Irish Data Protection Commission is conducting an investigation against the Grok assistant regarding the generation of illegal sexual images.

The conflict between Elon Musk and the Spanish government intensified on Wednesday, February 18, 2026. The owner of platform X published a series of posts directly attacking Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez. Musk used the term "Dirty Sanchez" against the head of government, which in English is strongly pejorative and scatological. The direct triggers for the attack were two issues: the announcement of a ban on social media use for persons under 16 and Madrid's adoption of an extraordinary regulation of migrant status. The billionaire amplified posts by British activist Tommy Robinson, suggesting the Spanish Prime Minister should be arrested for his actions. Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez did not remain silent, describing Musk's statements as "crude and full of threats." During a public appearance, he noted that the current lack of stability and sense of threat are precisely the responsibility of tech magnates who seem to think "the world belongs to them." This dispute fits into the broader context of tensions between the PSOE government and digital platforms, which Madrid wants to force to remove hate speech and illegal content more quickly under threat of high financial penalties for their operators. Spain has been grappling with migration challenges for years due to its geographical location, being one of the main entry points into the European Union for people arriving from North Africa. The situation is further complicated by legal problems of the artificial intelligence assistant named Grok, which belongs to Musk. The Data Protection Commission in Ireland has launched a second investigation into the tool, accusing it of generating and disseminating sexualized images without the consent of the individuals concerned. Simultaneously, in Spain, a debate is ongoing over the consequences of the mass regularization of status for nearly half a million people, which became Musk's main argument in accusing Sanchez of "betraying Spain." Experts indicate that such an open conflict between a head of state and the owner of a global communication platform could have far-reaching consequences for freedom of speech and internet regulation in the EU. „Inseguridad quien la provoca son estos magnates que se creen que el mundo es suyo. (Lack of security is provoked by these magnates who think the world belongs to them.)” — Pedro Sanchez 500 000 — migrants covered by the extraordinary status regulation in Spain

Mentioned People

  • Elon Musk — Billionaire, owner of the X service, who attacked the Spanish government on social media.
  • Pedro Sanchez — Prime Minister of Spain, target of Musk's attacks, defending his government's migration policy.
  • Stephen Yaxley-Lennon — Known as Tommy Robinson, British activist whose anti-immigration posts Musk amplified.