Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar mock Elon Musk’s son X on The View, sparking backlash online

Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar face criticism for joking about Elon Musk’s son X during a segment on The View.

Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar are facing backlash for mocking Elon Musk’s four-year-old son’s name during an episode of The View on Wednesday. Their comments came after Musk and his son, X Æ A-Xii, attended a White House press conference with former U.S. President Donald Trump.

Whoopi Goldberg is making fun of Elon's sons name.

She's pure trash. pic.twitter.com/o3fV3cHvWq

— 3sidedstory 🇺🇲 (@3sidedstory) February 12, 2025

During the show, Goldberg remarked, “Yesterday, Elon Musk took his son X to a press conference.” Behar interrupted, questioning the toddler’s name, prompting Goldberg to respond, “I did not name the child, and I don’t want to hear anymore mess about our names,” which drew laughter from the panel. Goldberg tried to move on, but Behar interjected with another remark, saying, “And little Instagram,” referencing Musk’s social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

The exchange quickly sparked outrage online. Critics called their remarks unnecessarily harsh, with some suggesting that their mockery was politically motivated. One social media user called their comments “trash,” while another labeled them “absolute worst.” Others condemned the hosts for ridiculing a child, with one person asking, “Who shames a four-year-old?” Many The View viewers also expressed frustration, stating that the show had “sunk to a new low.”

The controversy also drew a reaction from Grimes, X’s mother and Canadian musician Claire Boucher. Sharing her concern on X (formerly Twitter), she wrote, “He should not be in public like this,” adding that while she appreciated people informing her about the situation, she was at least relieved that her son was “polite.”