CBS 58 meteorologist Sam Kuffel is "no longer with the station" after she criticized billionaire Elon Musk on her personal Instagram account over a Nazi-like salute he gave—not once but twice—to the crowd at a Trump rally during Monday's inauguration festivities.
Following President Donald Trump's swearing-in, Musk spoke at a rally held at D.C.'s Capital One Arena and said:
"Elections come and go, some elections are important, some are not, but this one really mattered. And I just want to say thank you for making it happen. Thank you.”
At this moment, Musk placed his right hand on his chest before extending it outward with his palm facing down and fingers pressed together—a gesture historically known as the “Roman salute.”
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This gesture, co-opted by fascist movements in the early 20th century, is most infamously associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party in Germany. It remains a symbol tied to the far-right, particularly among fascist groups in Italy.
After making the gesture initially, Musk turned to face the crowd seated behind him and, with his back to the camera, repeated the same action before saying:
"My heart goes out to you."
You can see the moment in the video below.
In an Instagram story, Kuffel condemned Musk's action and those who support him, writing:
"Dude Nazi saluted twice. TWICE. During the inauguration."
"You f**k with this and this man, I don't f**k with you. Full stop."
You can see her message below.
@scuffs23/Instagram
The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel first reported Kuffel’s departure, highlighting that a memo was sent to staff just a day after she faced backlash from conservative media personality Dan O'Donnell for condemning Musk’s salute.
News director Jessie Garcia said in the memo that "Meteorologist Sam Kuffel is no longer employed at CBS5" and noting that "a search for a replacement is underway."
A spokeswoman for Weigel Broadcasting Co. confirmed via email late Wednesday that Kuffel was no longer employed by Channel 58. However, the spokeswoman declined to provide additional details, citing the matter as a personnel issue.
The news of Kuffel's dismissal did not go over well online.
Kuffel could not be reached for comment on Wednesday via email, text, or phone, per The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel.
According to her LinkedIn profile, she had been with Channel 58 for over five years, joining the station after working at WAOW-TV (Channel 9) in Wausau. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee in 2016, Kuffel had become a familiar face in local weather forecasting. She was also a regular contributor to the sports radio station WRNW-FM (97.3).
Ironically, the same day, Kuffel—who has since set her Instagram to private—was quoted in a CNN article discussing the increasing loss of local weather forecasters at television stations nationwide. She spoke out against this trend, "meteorologists are essential to local news" and that losing them is a blow to communities that will "ultimately suffer during major, local weather events."
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