A 26-year-old commentator has split conservatives online following her Valentine’s Day announcement that she shares a five-month-old child with Elon Musk.
Ashley St. Clair, firebrand MAGA influencer and longtime contributor to conservative satirical site The Babylon Bee, shocked her followers on X when she revealed the alleged relationship.
“I have held off on saying anything publicly because I wanted to keep my child’s life as private as possible,” she wrote Friday. “Unfortunately, certain tabloid journalists have been digging into my personal life, so I am now confirming that Elon Musk and I share a beautiful baby together.”
Tim Carney, senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, lamented the direction that Mr. Musk is pushing the pro-fertility movement.
“Conservatives were right when we said monogamous marriage combined with parenthood were good — and actually essential to a healthy society,” wrote Mr. Carney on X. “Don’t let Elon Musk lead you to hedging on that.”
Mr. Carney called the behavior “perverse,” something Alison Steinberg of LindellTV agreed with, criticizing conservatives over the weekend for “cheering on a single mother who gave birth out of wedlock.” Sports commentator Jon Root called it a betrayal of family principles.
Another commentator, Josh Seiter, dressed up in drag to slam Ms. St. Clair’s announcement on X.
“I am 3 months pregnant with Elon’s baby and I am only announcing this in order to ask that you respect my privacy,” he wrote mockingly.
But MAGA influencer Joey Mannarino waved away the outrage on X as delusion.
“Funny to see so many people acting as though they wouldn’t have Elon Musk’s child if presented the opportunity,” he wrote on the platform.
Candace Owens, too, defended Ms. St. Clair’s choice have a child with Mr. Musk, joining a chorus of celebration that included former Rep. Matt Gaetz.
This isn’t the first time Mr. Musk has attracted this kind of controversy. The Tesla CEO, who has made headlines for his views on population growth and declining birth rates, has fathered at least 12 other children — including several with his ex-wife Justine Musk, musician Grimes, and Shivon Zilis, a Neuralink executive.
His growing brood has fueled debate about the tech billionaire’s personal philosophy on family and procreation, with critics arguing that his relationships contradict the conservative values he publicly supports.
Mr. Musk has yet to confirm the veracity of the latest reports. Ms. St. Clair’s representation has said she’s “waiting for Elon to publicly acknowledge his parental role.”
Ms. St. Clair, who previously revealed that she grew up “dirt poor,” has seen her influence grow exponentially since Mr. Musk took over X in 2022.
In her statement Friday, she also called on Mr. Musk to take a more active role in the child’s life. The representative for Ms. St. Clair confirmed to the media that she and Mr. Musk were “working towards an agreement” about co-parenting.
Despite the backlash, other conservatives urged restraint. Daily Wire co-founder Jeremy Boreing argued that the correct response to childbirth is a simple “congratulations.”
“Children deserve to be raised by a mother and father who are husband and wife. All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God,” he wrote on X.
• Emma Ayers can be reached at eayers@washingtontimes.com.