Elon Musk responded to accusations of sexual misconduct stemming from an incident that allegedly occurred in 2016 with a strong denial -- and a challenge.

Business Insider reported on May 19 that the Tesla and SpaceX CEO allegedly had summoned a flight attendant to his private cabin on a SpaceX flight in 2016 for a full body massage and exposed his penis, rubbed her leg and offered to buy her a horse in exchange for "an erotic massage."

Additionally, the outlet said it had reviewed documents indicating the woman later reported the incident and received a $250,000 severance payment from the company in 2018.

The story was reported to Business Insider by a friend of the alleged victim who claimed that during a hike shortly after the incident, the woman told her what had happened.

The friend also said that she had not contacted the alleged victim, whom the report indicated had signed a nondisclosure agreement, before speaking with Business Insider.

Musk responded to the claims on Twitter, saying the "wild accusations are utterly untrue."

And, for the record, those wild accusations are utterly untrue

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 20, 2022

He said the "friend" who was the source of the story is a "far left activist/actress in LA with a major political axe to grind."

Exactly. Moreover, the “friend” in question who gave the interview to BI, is a far left activist/actress in LA with a major political axe to grind.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 20, 2022

The billionaire even issued a direct challenge to the woman, whom he described as "this liar who claims their friend saw me 'exposed.'"

Musk asked her to "describe just one thing, anything at all (scars, tattoos, …) that isn’t known by the public."

"She won’t be able to do so, because it never happened," he said.

But I have a challenge to this liar who claims their friend saw me “exposed” – describe just one thing, anything at all (scars, tattoos, …) that isn’t known by the public. She won’t be able to do so, because it never happened.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 20, 2022

Business Insider said it had contacted Musk for a comment on the story and he had responded by email. The outlet said he had asked "for more time to respond and said there is ‘a lot more to this story," which he called a "politically motivated hit piece."

“If I were inclined to engage in sexual harassment, this is unlikely to be the first time in my entire 30-year career that it comes to light," Musk said, according to the report.

Business Insider said it “extended the deadline” but the billionaire failed to respond.

Musk was asked on Twitter whether he had responded to the outlet's reporters, and he said he had not.

"No, it was clear that their only goal was a hit price to interfere with the Twitter acquisition," he said. "The story was written before they even talked to me."

Did you actually respond to the reporters from BI?

— Tesla Owners Silicon Valley (@teslaownersSV) May 20, 2022

No, it was clear that their only goal was a hit price to interfere with the Twitter acquisition. The story was written before they even talked to me.

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 20, 2022

Clearly, none of us knows whether the allegations have any merit, but the timing of the report is suspect.

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Musk became a target of the left the moment he revealed he had acquired a 9 percent ownership stake in Twitter in early April, and that intensified as he worked to fully purchase the social media company and end its censorship of conservative views.

The day before the Business Insider report, he tweeted that he would be voting Republican from now on because Democrats had “become the party of division & hate.”

"Now, watch their dirty tricks campaign against me unfold," the billionaire said.

In the past I voted Democrat, because they were (mostly) the kindness party.

But they have become the party of division & hate, so I can no longer support them and will vote Republican.

Now, watch their dirty tricks campaign against me unfold … 🍿

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 18, 2022

And unsurprisingly, the left reacted with, well, division and hate.

Judging by the relentless hatestream from the far left, this tweet was spot on

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 19, 2022

Unlike a politician or a nominee for a government post who is expected to act with decorum, Musk is a private citizen who can behave however he wants. And so far, he appears more than happy to push back on the left's playbook.

Clearly, Musk's call for free speech on a platform whose censorship of conservative speech has become its calling card has shaken the left to its core. If leftists lose the ability to control the political narrative, they might never win again -- which explains their death grip on Twitter and their hatred of Elon Musk.

His deal to purchase the social media giant might or might not be completed, but Musk's bid for the company has exposed the left's vulnerability in a way no one could have predicted.

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.