--- title: "Wait, Was Elon’s Son Just Caught on Camera Telling Trump What Musk Really Thinks of Him?" description: "During a recent press conference, Elon Musk's young son X Æ A-Xii appeared to tell Donald Trump what his dad really thinks of him." date: "2025-02-14" modified: "2025-02-14" authors: - name: "Noor Al-Sibai" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/nooralsibai" url: "https://futurism.com/elon-musk-son-trump-president" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "doge" - "donald trump" - "elon musk" - "x Æ a-xii" --- # Wait, Was Elon’s Son Just Caught on Camera Telling Trump What Musk Really Thinks of Him? ![During a recent press conference, Elon Musk's young son X Æ A-Xii appeared to tell Donald Trump what his dad really thinks of him.]() *\Image: Andrew Harnik via Getty / Futurism\* ## Mouths of Babes During an [Oval Office press conference](), Elon Musk's young son X Æ A-Xii appeared to tell President Donald Trump what his billionaire dad really thinks of him. While his famous father blathered on about "restoring democracy," it sounded an awful lot like the 4-year-old was caught on a hot mic telling Trump "[you’re not the president you need to go away]()" in a now-viral clip. Later, he seemed to even more clearly tell the president "[I want you to shush your mouth]()" — though to be fair, Trump wasn't speaking at the moment. (But maybe Baby X was speaking more in generalities.) As anyone who's spent time around small children knows, they're liable to say the darndest things. From [eerily forecasting their parents' deaths]() to asking [painfully awkward questions](), children X's age may still be in a stage of early language development known as "[echolalia]()," which involves children essentially imitating phrases they hear their parents and caretakers say verbatim. In the case of "little X," as he's sometimes called, that raises the intriguing possibility that he's repeating what he's heard his dad say around him — which, observers were quick to point out, could mean that Musk has been saying he's the real president and that Trump is, well, not. There's been ample reason to believe that [Musk is the real power]() behind the throne. That conceit has only grown more believable since January 20, when the South African-born billionaire and his Department of Government Efficiency [began its dubious work]() of dismantling federal institutions from the inside. So prevalent is this perception that *Time* magazine recently issued a controversial "[President Musk]()" cover featuring the unelected official sitting behind the Oval Office desk instead of Trump. Is any of this getting under Trump's infamously thin skin? It's tough to say. He's [rankled previously]() at the suggestion that Musk is running the show, but when asked about the cover during another press conference, he responded with familiar derision: by asking if the magazine was "[still in business]()." As for whether Trump is dressing Musk down about the situation behind the scenes is anyone's guess. Although, if little X's words are to be believed, maybe that's not the power dynamic at all. **More on Musk:** [*One of Elon Musk's DOGE Boys Reportedly Ran a Disgusting Image Hosting Site Linked to Domains About Child Sexual Abuse*]() ## Author At Futurism, I've often been drawn to unpacking the narratives that underlie technological, scientific and medical progress, with a special interest in areas of conflict and ambiguity that end up setting agendas and steering the fates of both elites and the hoi polloi. I'm a committed generalist, but I often find myself returning to work involving NASA and the private space sector, the effects of AI on media and society, and the mechanics of the pharmaceutical industry, with a specific focus on the spread of GLP-1 drugs like Ozempic and Wegovy. Prior to Futurism, I worked for publications ranging from Media Matters and Truthdig to Raw Story and Bustle. I'm also the author of "Myspace Scene Queens," a 2024 title in Instar Books' acclaimed "Remember the Internet" series. My work at Futurism has been cited by outlets including the New Yorker, Slate, Nieman Lab, the Verge, the MIT Technology Review, the Sunday Times, and the Daily Beast. I grew up in North Carolina, attended the University of North Carolina at Asheville, and now live in Brooklyn, New York. In my free time, I'm an avid reader and music fan; you can probably find me at a local poetry reading, concert, underground rave, or DJ set. I'm the proud parent of an ineffable orange cat named Mee-Mow. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()