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CBS 58 meteorologist Samantha Kuffel, widely known as Sam Kuffel, was fired after criticizing Elon Musk’s infamous salute at Donald Trump's inauguration. Sam Kuffel, 31, was reportedly fired on Wednesday, January 22, 2025, after she shared a post on Instagram saying Elon Musk "Nazi saluted twice" on Inauguration Day.
According to Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, in a post on her personal Instagram account, Kuffel shared a picture of Musk at the inauguration ceremony when he put his right hand to his heart and then threw his arm forward in a gesture akin to a Nazi salute.
Musk repeated the gesture that triggered speculations of a Roman Salute. This prompted an antisemitism and human rights watchdog, The Anti-Defamation League, to warn netizens from jumping to conclusions. Kuffel shared the video of Musk on Instagram, saying:
"Dude Nazi salute twice. TWICE. During the inauguration."
In another expletive-laced post, she added:
"It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Screw that old (expletive). He's a Nazi."
On Wednesday, Kuffel, who has been working at CBS 58 Milwaukee as a meteorologist for five years, was fired from her job. CBS 58 news director Jessie Garcia stated in a staff memo obtained by the Journal Sentinel:
"Meteorologist Sam Kuffel is no longer employed at CBS58. A search for a replacement is underway."
All we know about Sam Kuffel, as CBS 58 fires popular meteorologist
Sam Kuffel joined the CBS 58 weather team in December 2019 as a weekend meteorologist. Prior to joining CBS 58, she spent three and a half years as the midday meteorologist at WAOW in Wausau, Wisconsin. In November 2019, she shared her departure on Wake Up Wisconsin. She said:
“Unfortunately my time at WAOW is coming to an end. These last three and a half years have been a blessing, and I was truly lucky to be able to start my career in my home state and become a part of the central Wisconsin community.”
According to her LinkedIn profile, she graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee with a Bachelor of Science degree, studying Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology.
In 2021, CBS 58 shared a post congratulating Kuffel on her marriage to Devin. They wrote:
“CONGRATULATIONS to CBS 58 Meteorologist Sam Kuffel, who tied the knot over the weekend!”
On her Facebook page in 2020, Kuffel shared the news of her engagement with her followers. At the time, Kuffel revealed she met her now-husband through roommates at UW-Milwaukee eight years ago. She added:
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“While we were celebrating our anniversary, he proposed! I can’t wait to spend forever with my best friend.”
At the time of writing this article, Kuffel has not responded to her firing from CBS 58.
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