Elon Musk brought his 4-year-old son, X Æ A-12, to a recent meeting with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office. The young boy’s presence during the high-level briefing has sparked a mix of reactions and discussions across social media platforms. Throughout the meeting, X was seen kneeling by the Resolute Desk, picking his nose, and whispering to the president, behaving like a typical 4-year-old child.
His appearance alongside his father and the president has raised questions about the influence of technocrats and their families in political spheres. Former President Trump praised Musk’s son, describing him as “an incredibly high IQ individual.” Trump’s statement has ignited a debate, with supporters arguing that intelligence and innovation should be celebrated in leadership circles, while critics question the appropriateness of involving a child so directly in political discourse. The incident has also highlighted the double standard faced by women in politics and reinforced gender roles inherent in Musk’s beliefs about family.
As an avowed pronatalist, Musk believes that declining population rates are a major concern and has committed to having as many children as possible to repopulate the planet with exceptional individuals. Laura Lovett, a professor of history at the University of Pittsburgh, noted that the language used by Trump to describe X as a “high IQ individual” invokes the history of eugenics and “positive eugenics,” which encourages the “right people” to have larger families.
Musk’s son sparks Oval Office debate
Lovett also pointed out that the optics of X playing beside the Resolute Desk seem to be a deliberate harkening back to the famous photos of President John F. Kennedy and his son, John F. Kennedy Jr.
The presence of X in the Oval Office has also drawn attention to the potential impact of pronatalism on women’s participation in the workforce and economic mobility. Pronatalism often requires women to be pregnant for large periods, which can affect their career prospects and advancement. Kelly Dittmar, director of research at the Center for American Women and Politics, highlighted the double standard in how the display of parenthood would be received if it were a woman political official holding her child while speaking to the press.
The incident has also been the subject of humor, with late-night host Jimmy Fallon mocking Musk for bringing his son to the Oval Office briefing. Fallon joked that X might have been there to offer his own innovative ideas or simply to play with the presidential pens. As the debate surrounding X’s presence in the Oval Office continues, it reflects broader societal discussions on the influence of technocrats and their families in political spheres, as well as the gender roles and expectations associated with pronatalism.
