OXON HILL, Md. — At a conservative conference near Washington on Thursday, the billionaire made an appearance, brandishing a chainsaw, expressing interest in auditing the Federal Reserve, and accusing Democrats of “treason.”
Musk, the CEO of Tesla and an influential advisor to former President Donald Trump, discussed his efforts to reduce government spending and the size of the federal workforce, aligning with the administration’s goals.
The announcement of the entrepreneur as a speaker earlier that day generated excitement among activists at the . Before his appearance, he met with , whom Musk has often praised and who gained attention for using the power tool during his 2023 campaign, advocating for cuts in public spending.
Musk, wearing sunglasses and a black “Make America Great Again” hat, took the stage and revealed that Milei had a gift for him. The Argentine president then joined him onstage, presenting a red chainsaw engraved with Milei’s slogan, “Viva la libertad, carajo,” which translates to “Long live liberty, damn it.”
“This is the chainsaw for bureaucracy,” he declared.
Musk criticized the previous Biden administration’s immigration policies, specifically mentioning an app used by nearly 1 million people to enter the U.S. on two-year permits with work eligibility. He accused Biden and the Democrats of using this as a “scam” to gain more support in key states.
“Many people don’t fully realize that this was a large-scale scheme to manipulate the scales of democracy in America,” Musk stated, before Newsmax host Rob Schmitt questioned, “Treason?”
Musk responded with, “Treason.”
When Schmitt inquired if he would consider auditing the Federal Reserve, Musk replied, “Yeah, sure, while we’re at it.”
“Waste is pretty much everywhere,” Musk commented.
The billionaire mentioned that had expressed concern for his safety and welcomed suggestions on how to improve his security measures.
“President Bukele of El Salvador, who has imprisoned approximately a hundred thousand violent criminals, called me, saying, ‘I am worried about your security,'” he recounted. “I responded, ‘Dude, you’re worried about my security?'”
When asked to describe the inner workings of his mind, Musk replied: “My mind is a storm. It’s a storm.”
Steve Bannon, a prominent Trump ally and former chief strategist, followed Musk’s appearance and acknowledged that he wasn’t the main attraction, receiving a less enthusiastic reception.
“How did I get stuck following Elon Musk?” Bannon questioned, referring to someone he has often criticized for not being loyal enough to Trump. “Come on! You bring out the world’s wealthiest guy, Superman. I’m supposed to follow that? I’m just a crazy Irishman!”
—Associated Press writer Jill Colvin contributed from New York.
