It appears that President Trump is laughing at the outlet he dubbed “The Person of the Year” in 2024.
On Friday, Trump shook his head when asked if he had responded to the photo illustration of a musk behind a determined desk in his oval office.
“No,” he I said At a joint press conference with Japanese Prime Minister Isba, “Is Time Magazine still in business? I didn't know that either.”
His jokes have been teased for a long timeCover Story On Friday, the title, “Elon Musk's Internal War in Washington,” highlights the tech giant's efforts to overhaul the federal government in the first few weeks of the president.
Leading the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) goal of reducing wasteful spending, Musk is under scrutiny for the move to dismantle agencies such as the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Department of Education.
Doge's access to the Treasury Department's payment system, temporarily blocked by a federal judge on Saturday, also sparked concerns about how much power the Trump administration has given Tesla CEO.
Still, Trump praised Musk for doing a “great job” on Friday.
“He's finding enormous fraud, corruption and waste,” the president told reporters during the press. “You're looking at it with USAID, but you'll see more in other agencies and other parts of government.”
“He has great staff and he's been wanting to do this for a long time,” he added.
Musk's actions also create a rift between Trump supporters and democratic critics, questioning the depth of his influence on the White House. The administration has consistently pushed back the claim that SpaceX founders were what they call shots.
Trump also appeared on the cover of Time after beating former Vice President Harris in November. In an interview with the outlet in December, he outlined his goals for the second term.
Recently, it appears that the president has launched an attack on mainstream media. It switched between those with access to the White House and Pentagon briefing rooms, greenlighted public broadcaster investigations, celebrated the layoffs and signaled a fight for legacy outlets.
