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Fortune
Fortune
Marco Quiroz-Gutierrez

Grimes rips Elon Musk for parading around their 4-year-old son during Trump’s press conference: ‘He should not be in public like this’

(Credit: Andrew Harnik—Getty Images)
  • Elon Musk brought his son, X Æ A-Xii or “Lil X,” to an Oval Office meeting with President Donald Trump, and was criticized by the boy’s mother, Canadian musician Claire Elise Boucher, known as Grimes. Lil X was seen messing with his father’s ears as Musk raved about allegedly corrupt civil servants and his plans to slash the federal budget.

“Sigh.” Elon Musk’s ex-wife is frustrated and wants the Tesla CEO and DOGE chief to stop publicly showcasing their 4-year-old, after Musk brought the child to a press conference in the Oval Office.

His son, X Æ A-Xii or “Lil X” as his father calls him, has been Musk’s constant companion on Tesla factory trips, meetings on Capitol Hill, and summits with world leaders. On election night Lil X, along with his father, even made the Trump family photo.

Yet the boy’s mother, Canadian musical artist Claire Elise Boucher, known professionally as Grimes, is not a fan of Musk exposing the oldest of their three children to the political spotlight. After Musk brought his son to a press conference where he talked about DOGE and slashing the federal budget as Lil X rubbed his eyes and worried his nose, Boucher protested, saying she didn’t know Musk was taking him to the meeting.

In response to another user who complimented Lil X’s behavior at the White House, Boucher objected to his presence.

“He should not be in public like this. I did not see this, thank u for alerting me. But I'm glad he was polite. Sigh,” she wrote in a Tuesday post.

Musk and Grimes could not immediately be reached for comment.

Boucher has in the past criticized her ex-husband, with whom she has two other children, Exa Dark Sideræl Musk and Techno Mechanicus. She has previously said that Musk was “unrecognizable” and added that she “spent a year locked in battle” with Musk over custody of their children. The custody battle was resolved in August 2024, Business Insider reported. In total Musk has 12 known children with multiple women. 

TOPSHOT - Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk with his son X Æ A-Xii join US President Donald Trump as he signs executive orders in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, February 11, 2025. Tech billionaire Elon Musk, who has been tapped by President Donald Trump to lead federal cost-cutting efforts, said the United States would go "bankrupt" without budget cuts. Musk leads the efforts under the newly created Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), and was speaking at the White House with Trump, who has in recent weeks unleashed a flurry of orders aimed at slashing federal spending. (Photo by Jim WATSON / AFP) (Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images)

During the meeting Tuesday, Musk insisted his DOGE team was being “as transparent as possible” as he raved, without evidence, about corrupt civil servants and officials allegedly approving money for fraud. Meanwhile, Trump sat quietly at the Resolute Desk and mostly deferred to Musk on the cost-cutting measures. With a new executive action, Trump also directed federal agencies to work with Musk’s DOGE team to “significantly reduce the size of the government.” 

Despite the controversy, Lil X stole the show, and could be seen making faces, whispering to Trump, and messing with his father’s ears when Musk lifted him onto his shoulders. The 4-year-old even got a stamp of approval from President Trump.

"This is X, and he's a great guy—high IQ," Trump said. “He’s a high-IQ individual.”

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