Elon Musk mocked the New York Times as “false news” over the weekend after the newspaper published a headline taking the new Twitter boss to task for tweeting a link to a conspiracy theory about the assault on Nancy Pelosi’s husband.

Musk on Sunday cropped out a screenshot of a Times headline that read: “Elon Musk, in a Tweet, Shares Link From Site Known to Publish False News.”

“This is fake — I did *not* tweet out a link to The New York Times!” Musk wrote in the caption of the tweet with the attached screenshot.

Musk, who completed his $44 billion acquisition of Twitter last week, made waves when he posted a link to a news story that suggested that the assailant who broke into the home of Nancy Pelosi was her husband’s gay lover.

The tech mogul initially posted the link in response to former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton’s tweet blaming “the Republican Party and its mouthpieces” for spreading “hate and deranged conspiracy theories.”

Clinton linked to a Los Angeles Times story detailing how the suspect in the Pelosi assault, 42-year-old David DePape, is alleged to have pushed far-right conspiracy theories online.

“It is shocking, but not surprising, that violence is the result. As citizens, we must hold them accountable for their words and the actions that follow,” Clinton wrote.

Musk replied, “There is a tiny possibility there might be more to this story than meets the eye.”

Musk’s tweet included a link to a story by a website called Santa Monica Observer. The story’s headline read: “The Awful Truth: Paul Pelosi Was Drunk Again, And In a Dispute With a Male Prostitute Early Friday Morning.”

Twitter users noted that the Santa Monica Observer was not a reputable news source — citing a past story it wrote that claimed that Clinton died on Sept. 11, 2001, and was replaced with a body double.

In the face of widespread criticism, Musk deleted his original tweet. He did not offer an explanation.

The Post has sought comment from Twitter.

DePape is alleged to have been carrying zip ties with him when he broke into the home of the House speaker in San Francisco, sources close to the investigation told the Associated Press.

Paul Pelosi, 82, was allegedly assaulted with a hammer by DePape, according to authorities.

Police say DePape hit Paul Pelosi at least once with a hammer at the couple’s San Francisco home, where he shouted, “Where is Nancy?”

The 82-year-old underwent surgery for a fractured skull and is recovering. 

The suspect was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder, elder abuse and burglary and is expected to be charged by prosecutors on Monday.

Earlier reports indicated that the police claimed a third person allowed investigators into the home just moments before DePape’s arrest.

There were also reports circulating that Pelosi and DePape knew each other from before, though those claims appear to have been inaccurate.

Musk’s deleted tweet came at a sensitive time for Twitter and its users who are eagerly waiting to see how the new ownership will handle the delicate issue of content moderation.

Yoel Roth, Twitter’s head of safety and integrity, responded to reports of a surge in the number of accounts tweeting racial slurs and other foul language, saying that the company’s content moderation policies were still in place.

“Bottom line up front: Twitter’s policies haven’t changed. Hateful conduct has no place here,” Roth wrote.

Musk bought Twitter with the aim of undoing some of the more stringent content moderation policies, including banning users for offensive tweets and for spreading misinformation.

In an apparent effort to assuage jittery advertisers, Musk posted a message on his Twitter account last week pledging that he would not allow the site to become a “free-for-all hellscape.”

The Wall Street Journal reported last week that several top brands were prepared to cut ties with Twitter if Musk followed through on his intent to reinstate the account of former President Donald Trump, who was banned from the site in the wake of the events of Jan. 6, 2021.

Musk over the weekend said no decisions have been made on reinstating accounts and that he would convene a special “content moderation council with widely diverse viewpoints.”

“No major content decisions or account reinstatements will happen before that council convenes,” Musk tweeted.