During a recent clash with Gavin Newsom, Elon Musk decided to repeat his tired claim that something called the “woke mind virus” is responsible for his estranged daughter Vivian Jenna Wilson’s trans identity.

His reuse of the term came amid an online spat with the Gavin Newsom’s X.com account, after the press office for the California governor sarcastically said it was “sorry” his daughter Vivian Jenna Wilson “hates you”.

That exchange was, in turn, sparked by a recent interview that Gavin Newson gave to New York Times columnist Ezra Klein earlier this week, which touched on the topic of trans athletes in sports.

“That’s an issue no one wants to hear about, because 80 per cent of people listening disagree with my position on this, but it comes from my heart, not just my head. It wasn’t a political aberration.

“I want to see trans kids… I have a trans godson. There’s no governor who’s signed more pro-trans legislation than I have,” he said.

Gavin Newsom’s trans godson is model and socialite Nats Getty, who was previously married to transgender model and YouTuber Gigi Gorgeous.

Elon Musk’s super PAC hits out

@America, the super PAC first set up by Elon Musk to support Trump’s run for president shared a clip of Newsom’s comments about the trans community on X.com on Thursday (11 December).

Newsom’s press office responded, again on X, by saying it was “correct” that the governor wants to “see trans kids”, and adding that they were “sorry your daughter hates you, Elon”.

Elon Musk then took the bait, personally responding to the post with a tweet that deadnamed and misgendered Vivian Jenna Wilson, saying: “(She) has a tragic mental illness caused by the evil woke mind virus you push on vulnerable children. I love (Vivian) very much and hope (she) recovers.

“My daughters are Azure, Exa (she goes by Y) and Arcadia, and they do indeed love me very much.”

Vivian Jenna Wilson changed her name to her mother’s maiden name in 2022. Musk married Canadian author Justine Wilson in 2000 and they divorced in 2008.

She cited the reasons for the change as “gender identity” and “the fact that I no longer live with or wish to be related to my biological father in any way, shape or form”.

In an interview with right-wing commentator Jordan Peterson last year, Musk commented on his daughter’s transition, saying: “They call it deadnaming for a reason. The reason it’s called deadnaming is because the son is dead,” he said, going on to add that his “son” was “dead” and had been “killed” by the “woke mind virus”.

Wilson clapped back at Musk on Threads, writing at the time that she is “legally recognised as a woman in the state of California and I don’t concern myself with the opinions of those who are below me”.

She’s continued to roast Elon Musk on a regular basis calling him, amongst other things, an “insecure little buffoon.”

“One of the last interactions we ever had was arguing about wearing a mask. He sent me this gif of a sheep and said, ‘Stop being sheeple.’ It was cringe,” Wilson explained, in a March 2025 interview.

The sheep gif is implying that Wilson was simply following the crowd by complying with mask mandates, a popular argument among COVID-19 conspiracy theorists and right-wingers back then.

Wilson also added that Musk was an “insecure little buffoon” who has lied to the world about being a great innovator when, in actual fact, “he doesn’t engineer anything”.

Is Gavin Newsom really “pro-trans”?

The Democrat’s claims of being “pro-trans” don’t quite tie in with his recent actions towards the community. In March, he was criticised for speaking out against trans inclusion in women’s sport, putting him at odds with his previous actions and other members of his party. 

“I think it’s an issue of fairness, I completely agree with you on that. It is an issue of fairness. It’s deeply unfair,” Newsom said of trans inclusion in sport. 

The politician made his unexpected comments in the debut episode of his podcast This is Gavin Newsom in which he spoke with Turning Point USA co-founder and notable MAGA figure Charlie Kirk, who has since died.

He was shot and killed while giving a talk at Utah Valley University on 10 September, Kirk was discussing the right-wing conspiracy theory linking trans people to mass shootings moments before his death.

In October 2025, Gavin Newsom also rejected a state bill which, if passed, would have allowed trans people and anyone on hormone medication to maintain a 12-month supply of their medication.

The bill, designed to protect trans Californians from import issues faced by the Trump Administration’s crackdown on gender-affirming care, passed with huge majorities earlier in the year before being blocked by Newsom, who claimed the bill could have implications for healthcare costs in the state.

Those concerns were disproved by journalist Erin Reed, who said that hormone therapy is “among the least expensive forms of prescription medication” in the US. She noted that estradiol tablets – feminising hormone medication – typically costs under $20 for a 90-day supply, while Testosterone medication, while pricier, is still just $100-$150 per month.

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