A CBS affiliate fired meteorologist Sam Kuffel after she criticized Elon Musk for gesturing in what resembled a Nazi salute. Sign the petition to demand they reinstate her NOW!
Dear MoveOn member,
During Donald Trump’s inauguration, tech billionaire and richest man in the world Elon Musk—who spent more than $250 million to help elect Trump—gave a speech to the crowd in which he gestured, twice, with what resembled a Nazi salute. Not only has Musk refused to apologize for the association, whether it was intentional or unintentional—he has actually doubled down since the backlash, attending a rally for the far-right Alternative for Germany, trivializing the Holocaust, and posting offensive puns on X.1
Sam Kuffel expressed criticism of Musk and his salute on her personal Instagram account. Her employer, CBS 58, was alerted to the post and she was swiftly fired from her position as a meteorologist. All for expressing her private views on her private social media account.
While billionaire Musk evades any accountability for his actions, everyday people like Kuffel have to fear for their livelihoods for speaking out as private citizens in the face of extreme hate. Nearly 90% of readers who took a Milwaukee Journal Sentinel poll disagree with CBS 58’s decision to fire Kuffel.2
Private citizens should be able to express dissent without retaliation or firing. Add your name to urge CBS 58 to stand on the right side of history and reinstate Sam Kuffel
Musk’s controversial salute has been praised by people like Nick Fuentes, a white supremacist and Hitler admirer who was excited about Musk’s perceived “straight-up sieg heil, like loving Hitler energy.”3 It bears noting that Musk reinstated Fuentes’ account on X after it was previously suspended for antisemitic hate speech.4
Musk’s gestures, remarks, and posts take place during an increase in neo-Nazi and white supremacist demonstrations across the United States.5 And many of these same groups are celebrating Trump and the rise of the far right. Shortly after the election, neo-Nazis gathered outside a community theater production of “The Diary of Anne Frank” in Michigan, cheering for both Hitler and Trump.6
In the face of rising hate, President Donald Trump’s silence is significant—and the actions of Musk are indefensible. We need more people like Sam Kuffel speaking out and fighting back against hate. And they should be able to do so without being punished or experiencing retaliation.
The rise in neo-Nazi and white supremacist demonstrations coincides with an increase in hate crimes in cities across the country, like New York, Chicago, Houston, and Phoenix.7 As hate groups are given more platforms to amplify their agenda, and their ideologies are endorsed by mainstream figures, violence can and does follow.8
David Moskovic, a 95-year-old Holocaust survivor, expressed his concerns upon seeing Musk’s gesture on a national stage, stating: “I would have never thought this would happen in my lifetime, and it’s happening. It’s scary what’s happening right now in the United States.”9
When Musk was confronted with the impact of his actions and the trauma they evoked in people like Moskovic, instead of apologizing, Musk lashed out, trivialized the Holocaust, and joked about Nazis. We should all be able to call it like it is and say that his behavior is unacceptable, without risking our livelihoods.
https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/reinstate-meteorologist-sam-kuffel
Thanks for all you do.
–Aliya, Corinne, Evelyn, Emily, and the rest of the team
Sources:
1. “Jewish non-profit chief says Musk will spur violence with his ‘Nazi salute,'” The Guardian, January 26, 2025
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2025/jan/26/elon-musk-far-right-antisemitism
2. “Channel 58 fired meteorologist Sam Kuffel over Musk comments. What do you think? | Opinion,” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, January 24, 2025
https://www.jsonline.com/story/opinion/columnists/2025/01/23/milwaukee-sam-kuffel-fired-elon-musk-gesture/77906174007/
3. “Elon Musk doesn’t deserve the benefit of the doubt,” Vox, January 24, 2025
https://www.vox.com/politics/396535/elon-musk-nazi-salute-trump-inauguration
4. “Elon Musk to reinstate X account of white nationalist Nick Fuentes,” Axios, May 3, 2024
https://www.axios.com/2024/05/03/elon-musk-nick-fuentes-x-account
5. “White Supremacist Incidents Are Rising Across the U.S.,” The New York Times, November 21, 2024
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/11/21/us/trump-neo-nazi-anti-government-groups.html
6. “Neo-Nazis Are on the March Across America,” Wired, November 26, 2024
https://www.wired.com/story/neo-nazi-demonstrations-trump/
7. “Hate crimes reached record levels in 2023. Why ‘a perfect storm’ could push them higher,” USA Today, January 5, 2024
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2024/01/05/hate-crimes-hit-record-levels-in-2023-why-2024-could-be-even-worse/72118808007/
8. “Hate speech and real harm,” United Nations, accessed January 27, 2025
https://www.un.org/en/hate-speech/understanding-hate-speech/hate-speech-and-real-harm
9. “Auschwitz survivor says he was alarmed by Elon Musk’s gesture at Trump event,” Toronto Star, January 24, 2025
https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/auschwitz-survivor-says-he-was-alarmed-by-elon-musks-gesture-at-trump-event/article_51a90c5f-7e5f-524d-91d3-49bf1ee2b5fe.html
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