Jane Goodall's Final Interview: Why She Would Send Trump, Musk, and Putin to Space

Renowned primatologist Jane Goodall expressed in her final interview a desire to send certain prominent figures on a one-way space journey.

In her last recorded conversation for Netflix's documentary "Famous Last Words," released after her passing on October 1 at age 91, the distinguished English anthropologist shared her candid thoughts about world leaders and influential personalities.

"There are people I don't like, and I would like to put them on one of Musk's spaceships and send them all off to the planet he's sure he's going to discover," Goodall stated in the documentary.

When questioned if Elon Musk himself would be included on this hypothetical journey, Goodall responded without hesitation: "Oh, absolutely. He'd be the host," further adding, "Along with Musk would be Trump and some of Trump's real supporters."

Goodall expanded her passenger list to include several other global leaders, saying, "I would put Putin in there, and I would put President Xi. I'd certainly put Netanyahu in there and his far-right government. Put them all on that spaceship and send them off."

Drawing from her extensive knowledge of primate behavior, Goodall also offered insights about two types of alpha individuals. She explained that some rely primarily on aggression and physical prowess, though their dominance typically proves short-lived. Others, however, employ intelligence and strategy—such as challenging higher-ranking members only when supported by allies—and tend to maintain their positions considerably longer.

According to Variety, "Famous Last Words" was approved by Netflix in 2024 as a series featuring interviews with cultural icons whose final reflections would be broadcast posthumously. Goodall's interview marks the first release in this unique series.

This wasn't Goodall's first critique of former President Trump. Prior to the 2016 election, she told The Atlantic, "In many ways the performances of Donald Trump remind me of male chimpanzees and their dominance rituals." She explained that male chimps climb social hierarchies through attention-grabbing displays like "stamping, slapping the ground, dragging branches, throwing rocks," tactics that can help some individuals rise quickly and maintain influence.

In a 2022 MSNBC interview, Goodall reinforced this comparison, noting that Trump "exhibited the same sort of behaviour as a male chimpanzee will show when he's competing for dominance with another." She elaborated, "They're upright, they swagger, they project themselves as really more large and aggressive than they may actually be in order to intimidate their rivals."