Elon Musk has come under fire for amplifying a video by a former US Marine who has previously who has repeatedly denied the holocaust and published antisemitic conspiracy theories.

The world’s richest man, who owns social media platform X, shared a video of Ken O’Keefe falsely claiming that Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer “excused Jimmy Savile”.

O’Keefe, a former Marine, who is also a keen pro-Palestine campaigner and took part in the infamous 2010 Gaza flotilla, said Starmer was: “the one who signed off and said there wasn’t enough evidence” over the failure to prosecute the former TV star for his sexual abuse of women and children over many years.

There is no evidence to suggest that Starmer was personally involved in the decision not to prosecute Savile when the Labour leader was Director of Public Prosecutions between 2008-2013.

Musk, appointed recently by President-elect Donald Trump to look at cutting the cost of government, was criticised for choosing to give a platform for O’Keefe, who has previously spoken favourably about Adolf Hitler.

In a podcast last year, O’Keefe said that “Adolf Hitler said F**k off to the bankers, said no to the Rothschilds banks, maybe that’s why they hate him”.

It is not known whether Musk was aware of O’Keefe’s views on at the time he shared his clip about Sir Keir Starmer.

Antisemitism Policy Trust Chief Executive Danny Stone MBE, told the JC: “Elon Musk has amplified those who have denied the Holocaust, Neo-Nazis, and other antisemites. Given that he's such a fervent proponent of free expression, one would have hoped he'd learned how to use it responsibly.

He added: “His shared material risks inspiring hate, and he should urgently remove posts that imply support for such people and attitudes.”

O’Keefe has a long history of making antisemitic statements and making light of the Holocaust.

In August last year, on another podcast, he said: “take your six million gas chamber sh*t and shove it up your f***ing ass”.

He also defended discredited Holocaust denier David Irving and denied that six million Jews were killed during the Holocaust: “you know, who starved by the millions. Who died by the millions. Germans. Definitely not Jews. I'm talking Germans like Germans.”

In 2016 he was described by the Anti-Defamation League as an “antisemitic conspiracy theorist”.

The group, which tackles antisemitism in the United States, also said O’Keefe had claimed that Israel was behind the 9/11 terrorist attacks and said that “Jewish bankers” control the world’s money.

Elon Musk has been criticised in recent days for the use of his social media platform to attack British politicians.

He said that Home Office Minister Jess Phillips was a "rape genocide apologist" and that she “should be in prison” after it was revealed by right-wing broadcaster GB News that she rejected calls for a national inquiry into child sexual exploitation in Oldham.

Musk also falsely claimed that the Prime Minister was complicit in “the rape of Britain” and the cover-up of the decades-long scandal of so-called “grooming gangs” of largely Pakistani men targeting mainly white working-class girls for abuse in towns and cities across the UK.

He also called for far-right political activist Tommy Robinson to be released from prison.

At a press conference on Monday, without mentioning Musk directly, Starmer said: "Those that are spreading lies and misinformation as far and wide as possible, they're not interested in victims. They're interested in themselves”.

He also attacked those “who are cheerleading Tommy Robinson” saying that they “are not interested in justice, they are supporting a man who went to prison for nearly collapsing” a grooming case.

It has been suggested that Musk’s advocacy in favour of Tommy Robinson is the cause of his recent falling out with Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.

The founder of electric car company Tesla called for Farage to be replaced as leader of the right-wing party, despite having met with the MP for Clacton in December last year where the two and Reform UK treasurer Nick Candy reportedly discussed the possibility of Musk making a donation to the party.

The MP for Clacton posted on X: “Elon is a remarkable individual but on this I am afraid I disagree. My view remains that Tommy Robinson is not right for Reform and I never sell out my principles.”

Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, was jailed in October after he admitted contempt of court after repeating false allegations about a Syrian refugee.

Figures from the Community Security Trust (CST) have also been vocal in their criticism of Musk.

Dave Rich, head of policy at CST, said he would be cancelling his payment towards X verification– the social media platform’s paid premium service.

Explaining his reasons, Rich said he was “disgusted at Elon Musk’s aggressive and hateful behaviour towards my country” and that “As a patriotic UK citizen I cannot give him another penny while he behaves like this”.