SYDNEY — Billionaire Elon Musk has shocked the political world with a blistering, personal attack on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, declaring himself “lucky” to be an American and accusing the Australian leader of abandoning citizens and emergency workers.

The message, posted on Mr. Musk’s social media platform X, came in response to a news report about veteran paramedic Kathryn McCormack, who was attacked in the stomach and is now awaiting surgery. The man who assaulted her, Mr. Musk noted, escaped jail time.

“Lucky for me that I am an American,” Mr. Musk wrote. “I don’t like him and I think many people feel the same because no leader would push their own people into danger and there isn’t a single law to protect Australian citizens and emergency service workers.”

The post quickly went viral, amassing tens of millions of views within hours. It represents the billionaire’s most direct intervention in Australian politics to date — and has left the Albanese government scrambling to respond.

The case that triggered Mr. Musk’s outrage involves Ms. McCormack, a veteran paramedic who was assaulted while on duty. According to court reports, the attacker received a non-custodial sentence after arguing that Ms. McCormack was not actively treating a patient at the time of the assault.

“Do you people really vote for him?” Mr. Musk continued. “A man who always puts his money and position above the people. I think Australia won’t be far from returning to the Stone Age and its leaders will live luxuriously full of money.”

The reference to “Stone Age” appears to be a critique of Australia’s energy policies, which Mr. Musk has previously criticized as anti-business and technologically backward. But the broader attack was unmistakably personal.

The Australian government responded with measured fury. A spokesperson for Prime Minister Albanese said: “Mr. Musk is a wealthy foreign national who does not understand Australia’s legal system or its democratic processes. His comments are uninformed and irresponsible.”

But the denial did little to quiet the storm. Within hours, opposition leader Peter Dutton seized on the moment, demanding that the government explain why a paramedic’s attacker received no jail time and what laws would be introduced to protect emergency workers.

“When Elon Musk — who has no political skin in this game — points out a failure, maybe we should listen,” Mr. Dutton said. “A paramedic was stabbed. The attacker walked free. That is not justice. That is a system in crisis.”

Ms. McCormack has not commented on Mr. Musk’s intervention. But her case has become a rallying cry for unions and emergency service organizations, which have long argued that existing laws do not adequately protect paramedics, nurses, and firefighters from assault.

The Health Services Union called for an urgent review of sentencing guidelines, noting that assaults on paramedics have increased while penalties have not. “Our members are being treated as punching bags,” a union spokesperson said.

Mr. Musk’s attack arrives at a precarious moment for Mr. Albanese. His government is already facing surging support for Pauline Hanson’s One Nation, a Labor civil war, and mounting economic pressures. A foreign billionaire’s condemnation adds yet another layer of difficulty.

Some analysts questioned whether Mr. Musk’s intervention would backfire, rallying Australians against a foreign critic. But early polling suggested a more complicated picture: while many resented outside interference, a significant number agreed with Mr. Musk’s substantive point about paramedic safety.

“Call it what you will,” one voter posted. “He’s not wrong about the paramedic. That case was a disgrace.”

Mr. Musk has not indicated whether he will continue to comment on Australian politics. But his post remains live, pinned to his profile, shared millions of times. The world’s richest man has inserted himself into a local controversy — and the ripples are still spreading.

For Prime Minister Albanese, the question is no longer whether Mr. Musk’s attack was fair. It is how to respond to a critique that has resonated with voters already skeptical of his leadership. And on that question, no one in Canberra seems to have a good answer.