Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar from “The View” faced backlash from viewers after making fun of Elon Musk’s four-year-old son X following his viral Oval Office appearance.
Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar criticized for mocking Musk’s son
Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar have come under fire for mocking Elon Musk’s four-year-old son, X Æ A-Xii. The comments were made on The View after X’s appearance in the Oval Office.
On Tuesday, Musk and his son stood alongside President Trump at the White House. The event marked the signing of an executive order related to the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
During “The View” on Wednesday, Goldberg introduced the topic. ‘Yesterday Elon Musk took his son X to a press conference’, Behar interrupted questioning the toddler’s name, saying; ‘X?’
Goldberg shook her head and responded, “I did not name the child, and I don’t want to hear any more mess about our names.” The panel laughed.
Goldberg tried to continue. “Anywho, he took little X,” she said. Behar interrupted again: “And little Instagram.”
Behar’s comment was a jab at Musk’s social media platform, X, formerly Twitter. However, she was quickly corrected—Musk does not own Instagram, which belongs to Meta.
Social media backlash against Goldberg and Behar
Viewers quickly reacted to the exchange. Many criticized the hosts for mocking a child.
One person said: It seems they CAN sink lower. Such Trash!
A second wrote: This is BULL!!!! They are the absolute worst
While a third commented: I was impressed with how well behaved the child was. I don’t know any 4 year old child who would be that calm for that long.
We watched this last night and I pointed out to my husband how well behaved that little cutie is for a four year old. I loved the interaction between him and the president. Another added.
Someone else said: Kids are off limits. Joy, you of all people, especially watching your story on Finding Your Roots know how sadly our parents, grandparents, great-grandparents lost their identity as Italian names wer…
Goldberg and Behar both use stage names. Goldberg was born Caryn Elaine Johnson, while Behar’s first name is Josephine. Some viewers pointed out the irony of them criticizing Musk’s choice of name for his son.
Musk’s White House visit with X
Elon Musk attended the White House event to support a DOGE-related executive order. The order aims to reduce government inefficiencies.
During the press conference, Musk revealed a troubling discovery. “We’ve got people in there that are 150 years old still receiving Social Security checks,” he stated.
President Trump did not sign the order in front of reporters. Instead, Musk answered questions while his young son clung to his shoulders.
Grimes disapproves of son’s public appearance
X’s mother, Canadian musician Grimes (Claire Boucher), was unhappy about her son’s involvement.
She addressed the situation on social media. “He should not be in public like this,” she wrote on X. “I did not see this, thank u for alerting me. But I’m glad he was polite. Sigh.”
Grimes later made a broader statement on political discourse. She expressed frustration over the lack of “decorum” in leadership.
“The purpose of politics is to find solutions when the population can’t agree,” she wrote. “Both sides have stoked hysteria rather than provide mature, competent leadership.”