Elon Musk has staked out his hardest line yet on gender-related medical care for minors. "Those who mutilate children should receive a death sentence," Musk wrote on X, in a post that quickly drew tens of thousands of likes.
The comment goes far beyond anything in current U.S. law. It is consistent with Musk's long-held position. In 2023, he said parents and doctors who allow minors to undergo what he called sterilizing procedures "should go to prison for life."
Supporters of restrictions argue minors need stronger protection from irreversible medical interventions. Opponents argue such decisions belong to families and qualified medical professionals — not the government.
The issue sits at the center of one of America's most heated debates: parental rights, the role of the state in healthcare, and what criminal penalties, if any, should attach to gender-related care for minors.
What to watch next: whether any lawmakers take up Musk's death-penalty framing — or push new restrictions through statehouses instead.