California Governor Gavin Newsom’s recent comments expressing support for transgender youth set off a heated exchange on X between his official press office and Elon Musk, highlighting the increasingly personal edge of national debates over transgender rights.
In an interview published in mid-December 2025 on The Ezra Klein Show from The New York Times, California Governor Gavin Newsom voiced strong support for transgender children and highlighted his record on LGBTQ rights. In a clip later circulated on social media, Newsom said, “I want to see trans kids. I have a trans godson. There’s no governor that’s done more pro-trans legislation than I have. No one has been a stronger advocate for the LGBTQ community.” The quote was reported and transcribed by The Daily Wire, citing the interview.
The interview segment was reposted on X by America, a political action committee founded by Elon Musk, according to The Daily Wire. The video quickly drew attention and criticism from conservative commentators.
In response to the viral clip, the official X account of the Governor Newsom Press Office quote-posted the video on December 11, 2025, writing: “Correct. We’re sorry your daughter hates you, Elon.” That post, which remains publicly visible, has been documented by outlets including The Daily Wire and LGBTQ Nation, and was widely interpreted as a reference to Musk’s estranged transgender child, Vivian Jenna Wilson, who previously used the name Xavier.
Musk replied on X on December 12, 2025. In a post verified and reproduced by several outlets, including The Daily Wire and the International Business Times, he wrote: “I assume you’re referring to my son, Xavier, who has a tragic mental illness caused by the evil woke mind virus you push on vulnerable children. I love Xavier very much and hope he recovers. My daughters are Azure, Exa (she goes by Y) and Arcadia, and they do indeed love me very much.”
The exchange revived earlier remarks Musk made about his child’s transition and gender-affirming care. In a July 2024 interview with psychologist Jordan Peterson, Musk said he had been “essentially tricked into signing documents” allowing his then‑son Xavier to receive puberty blockers during the COVID‑19 pandemic, and described the experience as “incredibly evil.” In that interview, covered by outlets including Fox News, India Today, Business Standard and other international media, Musk claimed, “I lost my son, essentially,” and said his child had been “figuratively killed by the woke mind virus,” language he has invoked repeatedly when denouncing gender‑affirming treatments for minors.
The episode also drew fresh attention to Newsom’s positioning on transgender issues. Conservative commentary in The Daily Wire noted that in an earlier appearance with conservative host Charlie Kirk, Newsom expressed reservations about allowing transgender girls to compete in girls’ sports, characterizing such participation as unfair. At the same time, Newsom has promoted his record on pro‑LGBTQ and pro‑transgender legislation in California, and his administration has frequently framed its policies as protective of transgender youth.
While some of the podcast details and internal California policy deliberations have been filtered through ideologically aligned outlets, the documented social‑media clash between Newsom’s press office and Musk — including the press office’s comment and Musk’s ensuing reply naming his child and labeling her condition a “tragic mental illness” tied to a “woke mind virus” — underscores how disputes over transgender rights have increasingly intertwined with personal family matters in U.S. political discourse.
