Elon Musk served as one of the main attractions of the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) on Thursday evening, when he wore a chainsaw and discussed various topics in the appearance of his later schedule.
The appearance of Musk began with a bang when Argentinean President Javier Mairay came out to provide a chainsaw that he swung on stage with Tesla CEO Chainsaw. His subsequent interview with Newsmax's Rob Schmitt touched on everything from government efficiency (DOGE) to the Russian-Ukurein conflict.
The chainsaw move and speech highlighted Mask's efforts with Doge to reduce government spending and bureaucracy. Like Mairay, who has reportedly pledged to clean up to the Argentine government and served as an inspiration for Kuzi, Musk embraced Trump's vision to shake up the status quo in Washington.
However, Musk's appearance at CPAC highlighted the growing influence and power of Tesla CEOs within the GOP.
Here are five takeaways from Musk's CPAC talk.
Mus Croc Star
A former high-tech entrepreneur who escaped the political spotlight, Musk appears to embrace his new excellence in the US
The tech billionaire wore a “Rockstar” look, wearing a black “American great” hat and chain along with a black graphic T-shirt and pants.
He later said it was the “dark, Gothic Magazine” look.
As soon as he stepped out on stage, Mairay surprised the crowd and handed Mask a talented chainsaw.
Holding it in the air, Musk cried out, “This is a chain of bureaucracy,” prompting cheers from the crowd.
The move suggests that the tech billionaire is not supporting Doge's efforts, despite growing criticism from Democrats and some federal employees.
Several lawsuits have been filed challenging the layoffs, acquisitions for federal workers, and closure of an entire independent body that comes from Doge's initiative. Clear access to Doge's confidential information has also been challenged in court.
Musk thanked the CPAC crowd for their support, saying he “is trying to accomplish something good, but he does it and has a sense of humor.”
“Living your dreams, your memes are alive. It's almost what's going on. Doge started out as a meme,” he said, referring to the popular Doge Meme Coin.
“The ones like the left wanted to make comedy illegal. It was like 'comedy sucks'. It's nothing interesting. You can't tease anything,” Musk continued. “It's like… legalizing comedy.”
“Traction” in Doge Check
At one point, Schmidt told Musk that Trump's decision to use some of the money his administration has saved from Doge's government spending cuts to pay off federal debt and cut checks to Americans. I asked Musk about his recent proposal.
The idea appeared to come from the CEO of Arizona who posted the idea for “Doge Dividend” on social platform X.
“It's money – it's taken away from the confusion from the country and the organizations that hate you – to you,” Musk said. “It's amazing. It means it's brilliant.”
He said there was “traction” in the idea, adding that he spoke with the president who “supports” the plan.
The conversation then shifted to Internal Revenue Service layoffs early in the day when 6,700 employees were fired from the agency. Musk gave a slight laugh and nodded, but didn't respond verbally when Schmidt reported that he could close the IRS.
Address security concerns
Ultimately, the tech billionaire was asked about his concerns about security, and Schmidt called him the “desired man.”
“Look, I'm embracing ideas about improving security. I have to tell you. I don't actually have a wish for death, but it's not that easy Not,” Musk said.
Schmidt suggested that Tesla CEOs have a “huge” security team. It should grow bigger, I don't know. ”
This conversation comes as Musk faces criticism and some threats of his Doge leadership. Trump himself faced two assassination attempts last year.
“We're fighting against the big time in the Matrix here, but we have to do it,” Musk said.
Touching the tensions of the Russian Ukraine
Musk was asked about the Russian-Ukraine conflict and the criticism Trump received about his approach to ending the war.
“Well, first of all, I think we should relate to people dying on the frontline, and that's the most important thing,” Musk said.
“Is that like how many more years this is supposed to last?” he asked. “And imagine it was your son, your father, you know, what are they dying for? What exactly are they dying for? ?”
He suggested that people were being sent “to meat grinders for money” when explaining the war, and claimed that transplants and bribery were occurring. Musk suggests that Trump's handling of the conflict is being misunderstood by people, and he said “I have a lot of empathy, he really cares.”
Early in the conversation, Musk also mentioned the idea that he is the property of Russian President Vladimir Putin. “He can't afford me,” Musk said.
Our influence on musk's “morality”
Musk said towards the end of the interview, “My morality was informed by America.”
“I grew up in South Africa…but my morality was informed by America. I read comic books, you know, I play dungeons and dragons, and I play American TV shows. I saw it,” he said.
Musk suggested that America cared about being a good person. Regarding doing the right thing, he added, “It's actually quite unusual.”
Musk came to the United States in 1992 when he was a student, but received citizenship about ten years later.According to Politifactcited Walter Isaacson's 2023 biography of Tesla CEO.
Some Democrats have hinted at ocky laughing that Musk is acting as a true leader or president of the United States. This is the idea that Trump himself was held back, noting that he was not a natural-born citizen as the Constitution demands president.
