Elon Musk appeared with a black eye to a White House event President Donald Trump held to bid him farewell.
Musk wore all black including a ‘The Dogefather’ shirt alluding to ‘The Godfather’ and a ‘DOGE’ cap, to a press conference days after announcing he is officially stepping back from leading the Department of Government Efficiency.
The tech billionaire listened to praise from Trump and answered several questions, before a reporter asked him to comment on his bruised eye.
‘I was horsing around with little X and I said, “go ahead, punch me in the face,”’ said Musk, referring to his son.
Musk accepted a giant golden key from Trump in an event held to bid him farewell.
Trump praised Musk for his contributions and gave him a box that he said was a ‘special present’. The president said he has only gifted the key to ‘very special people’.
‘We find that government is a little bit nasty at times,’ said Trump.
‘Today it’s about a man named Elon and he’s one of the greatest business leaders and innovators the world has ever produced.
‘We appreciate it and just want to say that Elon has worked tirelessly.’
Trump added: ‘He had to go through the slings and the arrows, which is a shame.’
Musk said that ‘this is not the end of DOGE but the beginning’.
He reiterated that DOGE will only become stronger within the federal government.
‘I liken it to Buddhism, it’s like a way of life. It’s permeating throughout government,’ Musk said.
‘I’ll continue to be here and be a friend and adviser to the president.’
Musk was asked by a reporter if cuts at DOGE more difficult, or his SpaceX mission to reach Mars, which he is turning his focus to.
‘It’s a tough call, but I think colonizing Mars and making life multi-planetary is harder,’ Musk replied.
Trump teased the presser on Thursday night on his Truth Social platform.
‘I am having a Press Conference tomorrow at 1:30 P.M. EST, with Elon Musk, at the Oval Office. This will be his last day, but not really, because he will, always, be with us, helping all the way,’ wrote Trump.
‘Elon is terrific! See you tomorrow at the White House.’
The conference happened two days after Musk announced on his X (formerly Twitter) platform that ‘my scheduled time as a Special Government Employee comes to an end’.
‘I would like to thank President @realDonaldTrump for the opportunity to reduce wasteful spending,’ he wrote, adding that DOGE’s ‘mission will only strengthen over time as it becomes a way of life throughout the government’.
While stepping back from DOGE and the Trump administration, Musk took a swipe at the president’s domestic policy bill, which could pile on trillions of dollars to the national debt.
‘I was disappointed to see the massive spending bill, frankly, which increases the budget deficit, not just decreases it, and undermines the work that the DOGE team is doing,’ the tech billionaire told CBS News’ Sunday Morning.
In his response, Trump refrained from criticising Musk and suggested that the high price tag comes from tough politics in the House, which passed it last week.
‘We will be negotiating that bill. I’m not happy about certain aspects of it, but I’m thrilled by other aspects of it,’ Trump said.
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