FACT CHECK: Was Elon Musk Refused Service At A San Francisco Coffee Shop For Wearing a MAGA Hat?

Anthony Pascone | Contributor

A post on X claims that tech mogul Elon Musk was refused service at a San Francisco coffee shop, and then turned it into a “technology hub” as retribution.


Verdict: False

There is no proof that this happened, and that coffee shop does not exist.

Fact Check:

Musk, the owner X (formerly Twitter), has come under fire for his political views in recent months. He is a staunch supporter of free speech, and is expected to advise President-Elect Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, also called DOGE, with the goal of reducing government spending.

A post on X claims that Musk was denied service at a coffee shop in San Francisco called “The Progressive Bean” for showing up wearing a black hat that says “MAGA.” The post then claims that Musk went back the next day and turned the shop into a “sustainable technology hub,” as a form of revenge, but does not state how.

These claims are all false. There is no mention on Musk’s official X account of the purchase of a coffee shop. Also, a Google search for “The Progressive Bean” in San Francisco turns up empty, which means that shop does not exist. (RELATED: Did Elon Musk Ban Robert De Niro From X?)

The false claim comes from a YouTube channel called HARMONIZED, which known for deceptive videos. The video includes a voiceover explaining how the barista supposedly refused Musk service, but there is no proof that this situation ever happened. The YouTube channel also features other videos claiming Musk performed acts of service, none of which have been verified.

Screenshots from the video were ran through AI detection website TrueMedia, which found substantial evidence of manipulation. This claim was first fact-checked by Snopes.

Anthony Pascone

Contributor

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