Maye Musk, the outspoken mother of Elon Musk, has sparked backlash with a recent comment about a reporter’s ethnicity.

The 76-year-old mother called out New York Times reporter Ryan Mac for planning to publish a “hit piece” on her son, Elon.

Maye’s critique took an unexpected turn when she pointed out Ryan’s ethnic background in a now-deleted post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Maye Musk, mother of Elon Musk, stirred controversy after making a social  media post defending her son

Image credits: Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images

Image credits: Maye Musk

“I’ve heard there is going to be an Elon hit piece by @RMac18 in the [New York Times] tomorrow. Sadly, Ryan is an American Vietnamese reporter,” she said in her tweet, posted on Tuesday, October 5.

“My book is a bestseller in Vietnam. I don’t think my readers will believe the article if it is hateful and/or dishonest. Let’s see…” she continued.

Ryan is a seasoned tech reporter for The New York Times, known for his in-depth coverage of the tech industry, which includes his reporting on Elon Musk’s ventures and controversies.

In a now-deleted post, the mother labeled New York Times reporter Ryan Mac as an “American Vietnamese reporter,” which some found odd and unnecessary

Image credits: Maye Musk

Image credits: Maye Musk

He has earned recognition for his work, including a prestigious Polk Award for his reporting.

Maye’s labeling of Ryan as an “American Vietnamese reporter”—which many saw as irrelevant and inappropriate—was swiftly removed, but not before NBC reporter Tyler Kingkade saw it.

Tyler wrote a message defending Ryan, saying: “Elon Musk‘s mom just deleted this tweet that sad of a NYT reporter that he ‘Sadly…is an American Vietnamese reporter.’”

“I’ve heard there is going to be an Elon hit piece … Sadly, Ryan is an American Vietnamese reporter,” Maye wrote in her post

Tyler re-posted her tweet and added, “For the record, Ryan Mac was 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 and raised in California. Not that it matters.”

The NBC reporter emphasized Ryan’s credentials and his award-winning journalism.

“Calling out a reporter for their ethnic heritage is never appropriate… He also won a Polk Award. No one should ever bet on his stories being inaccurate,” the fellow reporter continued.