Tesla CEO Elon Musk recently expressed his views on his estranged transgender daughter, asserting that she was “killed” after undergoing gender-affirming care, which led him to declare an intention to “destroy the woke mind virus.”
Musk made these remarks during an interview with psychologist and conservative commentator Jordan Peterson, which aired on Monday. He described gender-reassignment surgery as “child mutilation and sterilization” and discussed his daughter, Vivian Jenna Wilson, who began her transition at the age of 16 during the pandemic.
Musk shared that he felt he had been misled into signing documents concerning his child’s care, stating, “I was essentially tricked into signing documents for one of my older boys.” He noted the confusion surrounding the situation during the COVID-19 outbreak and alleged that he was warned his child was at risk of suicide.
He criticized the practice of providing gender-affirming care to minors, saying that it is “incredibly evil” and advocating for imprisonment of those who promote it. Musk argued that he was not informed that puberty blockers could act as sterilization drugs, despite the fact that these medications alone do not impact fertility.
Continuing, Musk remarked, “I was tricked into doing this. I lost my son, essentially,” and elaborated on the term “deadnaming,” stating that it signifies the loss of his son.
Musk’s comments follow his recent decision to relocate X and SpaceX to Texas in response to California’s AB1955, or the SAFETY Act, which prohibits school rules requiring parental notification if a child identifies as transgender and mandates state support for LGBTQ+ children. Musk has faced allegations of transphobia and promotion of anti-trans messaging in the past.
His daughter sought a name change and a new birth certificate last year, indicating in court documents that she did not want to be associated with her biological father in any capacity. Musk has attributed their strained relationship to her progressive education in Los Angeles, a notion highlighted in Walter Isaacson’s biography of the billionaire. Isaacson suggested that this estrangement has influenced Musk’s growing “anti-woke sentiments.”
Once identified as having center-left political views, Musk has shifted towards right-wing rhetoric on various issues, including diversity policies, election fraud, and immigration. Earlier this month, he endorsed the Republican presidential ticket featuring former President Donald Trump and Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, both of whom support the oil industry over clean energy initiatives.