Elon Musk and California Governor Gavin Newsom escalated their war of words after the billionaire said his companies SpaceX and X would leave the state over the passage of a controversial gender identity law among college students.
Musk described the law, which prohibits school districts from requiring teachers to notify parents of changes in a student’s gender identity or sexual orientation without the child’s consent, as the “last straw” and said both companies would relocate to Texas.
Following the announcement, Newsom shared a screenshot of a 2022 Truth Social post from former President Donald Trump on X.
Trump claimed at the time that Musk was so desperate to secure federal subsidies for his projects at Tesla and SpaceX that “I could have said, ‘Get down on your knees and beg,’ and he would have done it.”
“You bent the knee,” wrote Newsom, whose name has emerged as a possible replacement for President Biden after the 81-year-old Democrat’s debate debacle.
“You never get off your knees,” Musk responded.
In addition to the restrictions on parental notification, the Newsom-backed bill directs the California Department of Education to create resources for families of LGBTQ+ students in seventh grade through high school.
Musk and other critics argue that the law is too sweeping and undermines parents’ rights.
Supporters said the bill, which takes effect in January, would provide needed protections for transgender students whose parents live in families that oppose the bill.
“This is the final straw,” Musk wrote on X after Newsom signed the bill. “Because of this law and the many others that came before it, attacking families and businesses alike, SpaceX will now move its headquarters from Hawthorne, California, to Starbase, Texas.”
Musk added that he made it clear to Governor Newsom about a year ago that laws of this nature would force families and businesses to leave California to protect their children.
In a follow-up message, Musk confirmed that X, the company formerly known as Twitter, would also be moving to Austin, Texas.
“I’m tired of dodging gangs of violent drug addicts just to get in and out of the building,” Musk said.
Elsewhere, Texas Republican Governor Greg Abbott praised SpaceX’s move, claiming in an X-post that it “establishes Texas as a leader in space exploration.”
Musk officially endorsed Trump’s 2024 presidential bid after the 45th commander in chief narrowly avoided an assassination attempt at a rally in Pennsylvania.
The billionaire has also pledged $45 million a month to a pro-Trump super PAC.