X, Tesla, and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk heightened his feud with California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) after being needled by Newsom on X over Musks estrangement from his own trans daughter. After Newsoms social media team said, Were sorry your daughter hates you, Elon, the CEO posted his own rant against trans people.I assume youre referring to my son, [deadname], who has a tragic mental illness caused by the evil woke mind virus you push on vulnerable children, Musk said. I love [deadname] very much and hope he recovers. Related Elon Musks trans daughter slays in drag debut during immigration defense fundraiser This week, a clip of Newsom talking went viral for his support of trans rights, a position that has angered many right-wing figures. Newsom points out in the New York Times video that as governor of California, he has enacted more pro-trans legislation than in any other state. However, he still defends his stance against trans inclusion in sports as an issue of fairness, noting that 80% of people listening disagree with my position on this.I want to see trans kids, I have a trans godson, there is no governor who has signed more pro-trans legislation than I have and no one has been a stronger advocate for the LGBT community, he told the Times Ezra Klein. Insights for the LGBTQ+ community Subscribe to our briefing for insights into how politics impacts the LGBTQ+ community and more. Subscribe to our Newsletter today That video was retweeted by America PAC, a political action committee Musk founded in 2024 when he endorsed the current president. In an attempt to criticize Newsom, the retweet simply quoted him, saying, California Governor Gavin Newsom: I want to see trans kids Theres no governor thats done more pro trans legislation than I have.Newsoms Press Office account responded simply saying, Correct. Were sorry your daughter hates you, Elon.Correct. Were sorry your daughter hates you, Elon. https://t.co/HeJIm5fJMS Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) December 11, 2025 One of Elon Musks daughters, Vivian Jenna Wilson, is trans and has distanced herself from her father, taking her mothers last name instead and speaking out against Musk.Musks response not only deadnames and misgenders his daughter, but also repeats his past claims that her transgender identity is caused by the woke mind virus. In a 2024 interview, he claimed he had lost his son and brought up the idea of the woke mind virus, claiming they call it deadnaming because your son is dead. Musks woke mind virus claim is itself just a spin-off of other dismissed attacks on trans identities as being genuine, such as social contagion theories, or claims of rapid onset gender dysphoria.Wilson seemingly made a dig at Musk herself, posting on Threads after America PACs tweet but before Newsoms press office responded, saying, If youre going to talk sh*t about me, then do it directly, and appearing to refer to her father under the blanket of cowardly men. View on ThreadsIn his tweet, Musk also attempted to defend his standing as a father by naming three of his daughters and claiming that they love me very much.Subscribe to theLGBTQ Nation newsletterand be the first to know about the latest headlines shaping LGBTQ+ communities worldwide.