If you were still wondering whether Tesla CEO Elon Musk's coming out as a right-wing ideologue wasn't yet complete, this should seal the deal.
In a quote that sounds right out of a Fox News segment, Musk publicly blamed the estrangement of his transgender daughter Vivian on "neo-Marxists" and "communism" taking over America's schools.
In Musk's mind his daughter wanting nothing to do with him has nothing to do with his repeated transphobic comments and support for far-right politicians and activists who've made attacking trans people their entire personality and raison d'être.
No, no, it's because of all the "neo-Marxists" spreading hatred of the wealthy that have made Vivian go so far as to change her name to rid herself of any attachment to her father.
\u201cElon Musk is blaming \u201ccommunism\u201d in elite colleges and universities for his estrangement from his transgender daughter. https://t.co/ytigNyvDqo\u201d— The Advocate (@The Advocate) 1665579601
Vivian is one of Musk's 10 known children and one of six he had with his first wife, model Justine Wilson.
When Vivian turned 18 in April she filed her name change shortly thereafter. In her filing she cited her desire to have a name that matches her gender identity, a common practice among transgender people.
But she also stated her desire to rid herself of any connection to Musk, saying in her filing:
“I no longer live with or wish to be related to my biological father in any way, shape or form."
Musk repeatedly mocked the use of gender pronouns in the past and has expressed support for transphobic politicians like Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, who led an all-out assault on transgender people, especially children, in his state.
But in a recent interview with the Financial Times, Musk had a different explanation for his daughter's anger than his own choices. He told the newspaper it is the "neo-Marxists" teaching at the unnamed elite university Vivian attends that turned his daughter against him.
Musk told FT:
“It’s full-on communism . . . and a general sentiment that if you’re rich, you’re evil."
And if you're wondering if Musk is any way upset about losing his relationship with his daughter, think again.
Comparing Vivian to his other children, Musk went on to say:
“It may change, but I have very good relationships with all the others. Can’t win them all.”
"Can't win them all."
What a dad.
On Twitter, people found Musk's comments ridiculous at best.
\u201ctimeline cleanse:\n\nelon musk is miserable and his own daughter hates him\u201d— gryphoneer (@gryphoneer) 1665323993
\u201cremember when billionaire celebrity Elon Musk was posting transphobic jokes on twitter to his million followers while his girlfriend publicly begged him to stop? The reason he was posting transphobic jokes to his legion of fans is that his teenage daughter is trans.\u201d— Killjoy McCoy (@Killjoy McCoy) 1665184922
\u201c@PopBase or maybe he\u2019s just a bad father.\u201d— Pop Base (@Pop Base) 1665363076
\u201cElon Musk\u2019s trans daughter disowned him after his years of transphobic tweets and he thinks it\u2019s because of Marxist schoolteachers in the school he financed and constructed for her education\u201d— Centrist \ud83e\udd1dMadness (@Centrist \ud83e\udd1dMadness) 1665169233
\u201cIt rules that Musk has used the \u201cYou only hate me because I\u2019m rich\u201d argument so much he\u2019s now using it on his own daughter. Famously children hate when their parents have too much money and can buy them anything they want\u201d— Scary Gothmother, MD (@Scary Gothmother, MD) 1665165979
\u201cReminder: Elon Musk's daughter is trans. This is just regular gammon-tinted GC transphobia.\u201d— Charlie Stross (@Charlie Stross) 1665255419
\u201celon musk\u2019s shtick as a whiny conservative makes a lot more sense when you realize it\u2019s just because he\u2019s mad his daughter won\u2019t talk to him anymore.\n\n\u201ccan\u2019t win them all\u201d oof\u201d— sam (@sam) 1665240801
\u201cApparently, Elon Musk has spent more time talking to Putin this month than his trans daughter. This is because he is the absolute worst\u201d— \ud83c\udf83Bronwen, Countess of Spook\ud83c\udf83 (@\ud83c\udf83Bronwen, Countess of Spook\ud83c\udf83) 1665532143
\u201cElon Musk:\n"My daughter doesn't want to be associated with me anymore, clearly it's because of all then neo Marxist anti-rich-people universities twisting her brain!"\n\nYes.\n\nThat's the reason\n\nAnd not that you freaked out at her transition and say transphobic "jokes" all the time\u201d— \ud83d\udc7b\ud83c\udf41 Pink Spooky Cat \ud83c\udf41\ud83d\udc7b (@\ud83d\udc7b\ud83c\udf41 Pink Spooky Cat \ud83c\udf41\ud83d\udc7b) 1665255394
\u201cElon Musk shifting further and further to the right because his daughter has correctly assessed that he's a dickhead\u201d— Jack Kennedy (@Jack Kennedy) 1665156264
With Musk seemingly cozying up to Putin and becoming more and more of a darling to the far-right, it seems pretty obvious why he's not falling over himself to salvage his relationship with his trans daughter.
But sure, it's the "communism" in the Ivy Leagues.
Whatever you say, Elon.