Elon Musk recently criticized Paola Ramos, a contributor to MS NOW, after a video of her rejecting the idea of genetic differences among various ancestral groups went viral. The clip, shared by Ramos on Instagram, featured her interviews with birther activists. The birther movement claims that modern society is facing a significant decline in birth rates and advocates for increasing this rate by encouraging people to have more children. In her post, Ramos cautioned that this push is gaining traction among far-right groups and referenced President Trump’s desire to be the “fertility president.”
Ramos is a journalist with Telemundo and the daughter of notable Trump critic Jorge Ramos. In the viral video, she questioned neuroscientist Malcolm Collins regarding his assertion that “Black women are biologically different from white women.” Malcolm began his argument by acknowledging that while there are differences in reproductive windows and higher complication rates, he insisted that scientific evidence suggests genetic differences do exist.
“But there’s no scientific evidence to prove that black women and white women are genetically different, right? This is similar,” Ramos countered. With increasing intensity, Malcolm responded, “What are you talking about!? There is literally a gene that codes for skin color!” To this, Ramos contended that data from respected sources like the National Institutes of Health does not support his claim.
In a back-and-forth exchange, Malcolm asserted that humans are inherently genetically diverse, which he argued is not a negative aspect. Ramos then stated, “I’m not saying it’s bad or good. I’m just saying there’s no scientific evidence.” Malcolm maintained that overwhelming scientific evidence supports the notion of genetic diversity, likening it to claiming the sky isn’t blue. He emphasized that genes related to traits like skin color differ among people.
Ramos interjected, noting that claiming genetic differences has historically contributed to racial hierarchies, which is why she raised the question.
Musk, known for advocating birther views, had previously warned that a decline in birth rates poses severe risks to civilization. He responded to Ramos’ video with laughing emojis, prompting some social media users to compare her interview style to that of the satirical character “Borat.” Others expressed confusion over her decision to share the clip.
As of now, Ramos has not responded to requests for further comments.
