RM Elon Musk has publicly clashed with California Governor Gavin Newsom’s communications team following comments related to Musk’s transgender child, who now goes by the name Vivian Jenna Wilson.
The dispute began after America PAC, an organization linked to Musk, reshared a video clip from The Ezra Klein Show in which Newsom stated, “There’s no governor that’s done more pro-trans legislation than I have.” Newsom made the remark while discussing transgender participation in women’s sports, an issue on which he has recently diverged from some Democratic leaders.
Earlier, Newsom drew attention during the first episode of his podcast, This is Gavin Newsom, while speaking with Turning Point USA president Charlie Kirk. During the conversation, Newsom said he believed allowing transgender athletes to compete in women’s sports was “deeply unfair.”
After America PAC commented on the resurfaced clip, Newsom’s press office responded sharply on X, the social media platform owned by Musk. “Correct. We’re sorry your daughter hates you, Elon,” the account posted.
Musk responded forcefully, rejecting the characterization and refusing to refer to Wilson as his daughter. He wrote that the press office was instead referring to his son, Xavier, whom he described as suffering from what he called a serious mental illness influenced by what he labeled the “evil woke mind virus.” Musk added that he loved Xavier and hoped for his recovery, while emphasizing that his other daughters — Azure, Exa (known as “Y”), and Arcadia — have a loving relationship with him.
Musk later pinned a separate post to his profile stating, “If you have a womb, you are a woman. Otherwise, you are not.”
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO has previously spoken about his opposition to gender-related medical treatments for minors. In a 2024 interview with psychologist Jordan Peterson, Musk said he felt misled into approving puberty blockers for his child during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Musk, he was told at the time that his child might be at risk of suicide if treatment was denied, and he claimed he did not fully understand the situation when he signed the consent forms.
