A CBS meteorologist in Milwaukee has parted ways with the station after criticizing Elon Musk’s controversial hand gesture during President Donald Trump’s inauguration, which she referred to as a “Nazi salute.”
CBS 58 confirmed on Wednesday that meteorologist Sam Kuffel is “no longer with the station” but declined to comment further on the matter. However, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel revealed that a memo was sent to staff a day after conservative radio host Dan O’Donnell criticized Kuffel’s comments about Musk’s gesture.
O’Donnell, a vocal conservative figure, posted a series of screenshots from Kuffel’s private Instagram account, where she made her comments about Musk’s behavior at the inauguration. “Sam Kuffel makes a pair of vulgar Instagram posts while spreading the lie that Elon Musk was giving a Nazi salute during yesterday’s Presidential Inauguration,” O’Donnell wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
In one of the posts, Kuffel shared an image of Musk right before the gesture and wrote: “Dude Nazi saluted twice. TWICE. During the inauguration. You f*** with this and this man, I don’t f*** with you. Full stop.”
While Kuffel’s Instagram account was private, her bio was publicly visible and stated that the account was “never a public account.”
Kuffel has not responded to requests for comment about her departure from CBS 58.
O’Donnell and other conservative voices quickly rallied behind Musk, dismissing accusations that the gesture resembled a Nazi salute. They argued that Musk was merely sending a heart gesture to the crowd. Regardless of intent, Musk’s action has been embraced by far-right figures and white nationalist groups.
The White Lives Matter group, a white nationalist organization, responded to the moment on Telegram, writing: “Thanks for (sometimes) hearing us, Elon. The White Flame will rise again.”
