An image shared on X allegedly shows a Politico article with the headline “Yes, Elon Musk caught his stupid booster on the first try, but we won’t be impressed until he stops tweeting!” 

wow, Politico acts fast. i can’t believe these people. pic.twitter.com/dPwhqzHgHH

— spor (@sporadicalia) October 13, 2024

Verdict: False

A Politico spokesperson confirmed that the image does not show a genuine Politico article.

Fact Check: 

SpaceX successfully caught a booster at its launch pad after it arced over the Gulf of Mexico, according to PBS. SpaceX CEO Elon Musk referred to the accomplishment, done with mechanical arms, as “science fiction without the fiction part,” the outlet reported.

An X image allegedly shows a Politico article poking fun at Musk about his success with the booster. The post shared a photo of the alleged article.

“Yes, Elon Musk caught his stupid booster on the first try, but we won’t be impressed until he stops tweeting!” the alleged headline reads. Underneath this is an alleged sub headline that reads, “State officials and media commentators are now rapidly looking into how to take away from the enormity of this event and convince the public this is a bad thing, actually.” 

“wow, Politico acts fast. i can’t believe these people,” the caption reads. (RELATED: No, Elon Musk Did Not Pledge A $5 Billion Endorsement At Trump’s PA Rally) 

This image has been digitally fabricated, however. The article does not appear via a search of Politico’s website or any of its verified social media accounts. Likewise, there are no credible news reports from Politico or other outlets that match the headline. 

“This is quite obviously not a POLITICO article,” a Politico spokesperson told Check Your Fact in an email.