Kamala Harris Slams Elon Musk Over ‘Weakness’ Comments

Former Vice President Kamala Harris didn’t mince words during her overseas remarks Sunday, delivering a fiery condemnation of Elon Musk’s controversial claim that empathy is a weakness. Speaking to an international audience at a real estate summit in Sydney, Harris painted Musk’s rhetoric as not only dangerous—but as part of a broader, alarming shift toward authoritarian thinking.

“Some believe leadership is about domination and cruelty,” Harris said without naming names. “But real strength lies in compassion, in curiosity, in giving a damn about other people.”

Her words were a direct clapback to comments Musk made in March on The Joe Rogan Experience, where he declared, “The fundamental weakness of Western civilization is empathy.” Musk went on to call it “an exploit”—a flaw in the system that can be taken advantage of.

At the time, Musk was still heavily active as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a controversial Trump-era creation tasked with slashing bureaucracy but increasingly seen as a political wrecking ball targeting civil rights protections and environmental regulations.

Musk’s comments didn’t go unnoticed—nor unchallenged.

Though Harris didn’t mention Musk by name, the subtext was impossible to miss. “I do worry, frankly, about what’s happening in the world right now,” she said, turning the conversation toward the rise of far-right ideology. “It’s important we remember the 1930s. That history reminds us that isolation does not equal insulation. That democracy dies without empathy, without integrity, without trust.”

Sources close to the former VP confirmed to this outlet that Harris was “deeply disturbed” by Musk’s recent public behavior. That includes his now-infamous appearance during President Trump’s second inauguration, where Musk—draped in a trench coat—appeared to flash a salute eerily similar to the Roman salute once used by fascists. The moment, captured on livestream, drew sharp backlash online and prompted a statement from the White House insisting it was a “misunderstood gesture.”

But Musk’s record speaks louder than any statement.

Since taking over DOGE, Musk has dismantled key regulatory agencies, mocked civil servants as “useless load-bearing parasites,” and posted cryptic Nazi-themed memes on X, the platform he owns. He’s also flirted with far-right conspiracy theories and courted MAGA influencers—earning praise from figures like Steve Bannon and Tucker Carlson, and condemnation from civil rights groups.

“He’s not some eccentric genius,” said Maya Rodriguez, director of the progressive watchdog group Liberty Torch. “He’s actively undermining the institutions that protect American democracy—and when someone like Kamala Harris calls that out, we should listen.”

Harris has been stepping back into the spotlight in recent months, fueling speculation about a potential run in 2028. Her trip to Australia was originally billed as an economic diplomacy tour, but quickly became something more—a platform to reassert liberal democratic values under threat at home and abroad.

“Elon Musk thinks empathy is a bug,” Harris told the room. “But empathy is the firewall that protects humanity from tyranny. Without it, we repeat history—and not the good parts.”

The crowd responded with sustained applause.

Background:

Elon Musk’s role in the Trump administration has sparked intense debate. While supporters praise his cost-cutting reforms, critics accuse him of accelerating a dangerous anti-democratic agenda. His appointment to lead DOGE—a powerful office with vague oversight and limited accountability—was seen by many as a signal of President Trump’s embrace of Silicon Valley strongmen.

Since then, Musk has made headlines for eliminating entire federal departments, gutting climate initiatives, and issuing executive-style memos despite not holding an elected office.

Kamala Harris, meanwhile, has largely remained quiet since leaving office in 2025, but Sunday’s speech may mark the start of a new political chapter.

“She’s drawing a line in the sand,” said Democratic strategist Jalen Whitmore. “This wasn’t just about Elon. It was about where the country is headed.”