Elon Musk’s daughter, Vivian Wilson, isn’t holding back when it comes to calling out her father. After Musk made a gesture resembling a Nazi salute during the inaugural parade for Donald Trump in Washington, D.C., Vivian took to social media to express her outrage and critique those downplaying the incident.
Musk, who is known for his leadership of Tesla and SpaceX, was seen saluting the crowd with a gesture widely associated with Nazi symbolism, repeating it for a group behind him. The incident immediately sparked controversy and alarm among viewers.
However, some media outlets and organizations seemed hesitant to label the gesture explicitly. The Anti-Defamation League described it as an “awkward moment of enthusiasm,” while others, like NBC News, framed it as Musk “touching his heart before saluting supporters.”
Elon Musk is currently speaking at Trump’s Presidential parade in DC.
He’s PUMPED pic.twitter.com/f1OP1lvD6c
— Sawyer Merritt (@SawyerMerritt) January 20, 2025
Vivian, however, didn’t mince words. Posting on Threads, a platform competing with Musk’s X (formerly Twitter), she wrote, “Let’s call a spade a f**king spade. Especially if there were two spades in succession. Let’s not pretend we don’t know what this was.” Her comments criticized both her father’s actions and the media’s attempts to soften the narrative.
She also mocked the defenses put forth by some, including claims that the gesture was a reference to “love” or a supposed Roman salute. Historians, however, have debunked the notion of an ancient Roman salute altogether, further highlighting the implausibility of such explanations.
Vivian, who is transgender, has been vocal about her strained relationship with Musk, having legally changed her name and gender in 2022 while stating she no longer wished to be associated with him. In her latest posts, she also shared a sarcastic critique of the excuses being made for Musk’s behavior, writing, “I’m clearly only talking about card suits here, right? Plausible deniability, honey. Just saying.”
Vivian’s remarks come as a sharp reminder of the ongoing tensions within the Musk family and the larger societal conversations about accountability and symbolism. With media outlets split on how to frame the controversy, her directness is making waves.
