Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla and a close aide to U.S. President Donald Trump as well as head of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), wielded a chainsaw and called for the overhaul of bureaucracy.
According to CNN and AP on the 20th (local time), Musk attended the annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) held in Oxon Hill, Maryland.
At the event, Argentine President Javier Milei, who was visiting the U.S., appeared backstage and handed Musk a red chainsaw.
Known as the "Trump of Argentina," President Milei used a chainsaw to promote public budget cuts in his country. AP reported that the chainsaw bore the phrase "Libertad por siempre, carajo" ("Freedom forever, damn it") in Spanish, a slogan frequently used by President Milei.
Musk raised the chainsaw above his head and waved it, shouting, "A chainsaw for bureaucracy (overhaul)." Foreign media viewed this as a strategy to promote policies such as federal workforce reduction and spending cuts being pushed by the Department of Government Efficiency.
The day before, President Trump announced at an event hosted by the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund that 20% of the budget savings through the Department of Government Efficiency would be returned to the American people, and another 20% would be used to pay down the national debt. In response to related questions, Musk said, "Money taken from the destructive things in this country," adding, "The president supports it."
When asked whether he was considering an audit of the Federal Reserve (Fed), Musk replied, "Yes." He has previously criticized the Fed for having too many employees.
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