Elon Musk waves a chainsaw at CPAC talking up Trump’s cost-cutting efforts
Published Feb 20, 2025 • Last updated 4 minutes ago • 2 minute read
Join the conversation
CEO of Tesla and SpaceX Elon Musk wields a chainsaw as he leaves the stage at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Gaylord National Resort Hotel and Convention Center on Feb. 20, 2025 in Oxon Hill, Md. Photo by Andrew Harnik /Getty ImagesOXON HILL, Md. — Billionaire Elon Musk appeared at a conservative gathering outside Washington on Thursday waving a chainsaw in the air, showing openness to auditing the Federal Reserve and accusing Democrats of “treason.”
Advertisement 2
Story continues below
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Don't have an account? Create Account
or
View more offers
Article content
Article content
Article content
Musk, the Tesla CEO who has become perhaps President Donald Trump’s most influential adviser, spoke about his crusade to cut government spending and downsize the federal workforce with the administration’s Department of Government Efficiency.
The entrepreneur was first announced earlier that day as a speaker, drawing huge cheers from activists gathered at the Conservative Political Action Conference. Before his appearance, he met with Argentine President Javier Milei, who has been frequently praised by Musk and popularized the power tool while campaigning in 2023 and proposing slashing public spending.
After Musk appeared onstage, wearing shades and his trademark black “Make America Great Again” hat, he said Milei had a gift for him. The Argentine leader then walked onstage with the red chainsaw and passed it to Musk. The chainsaw was engraved with Milei’s slogan, “Viva la libertad, carajo,” which is Spanish for “Long live liberty, damn it.”
Your Midday Sun
Thanks for signing up!
Article content
Advertisement 3
Story continues below
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
“This is the chainsaw for bureaucracy,” he said.
Musk slammed the previous Biden administration for its immigration policies, specifically naming an app that was used by nearly 1 million people to be allowed into the U.S. on two-year permits with eligibility to work. He accused Biden and Democrats of doing that as an “investment” to get more support in swing states.
“A lot of people don’t quite appreciate that this was an actual real scam at scale to tilt the scales of democracy in America,” Musk said before Newsmax host Rob Schmitt asked him, “Treason?”
Musk responded, “Treason.”
When Schmitt asked him if he would consider auditing the Federal Reserve, Musk responded, “Yeah, sure, while we’re at it.”
“Waste is pretty much everywhere,” Musk said.
Advertisement 4
Story continues below
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
Article content
The billionaire joked that Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele has told him he is worried about his security and said he was open to ideas on how to improve his safety measures.
“President Bukele from El Salvador, who managed to put in prison like a hundred thousand murderous thugs, and he called me. ‘I am worried about your security,'” he said the Central American leader told him. “I’m like, ‘Dude, you are worried about my security?”‘
When asked to describe what is like inside his mind, Musk replied: “My mind is a storm. It’s a storm.”
Steve Bannon, a popular Trump ally who once served as his chief strategist, followed Musk’s appearance and acknowledged he was not the evening’s top attraction as he took the stage to a far less enthusiastic reception.
“How did I draw the card to follow Elon Musk?” Bannon asked about a man he has frequently criticized as insufficiently loyal to Trump. “C’mon man! You bring out the world’s wealthiest guy, Superman. I’m supposed to follow it? I’m just a crazy Irishman!”
— Associated Press writer Jill Colvin contributed from New York.
Article content
Share this article in your social network
Who will fill the role of the star player for the Los Angeles Lakers alongside Luka Doncic after LeBron James retires? Here are three possibilities.
Read more >> : Cick here
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
TORONTO — Canada's main stock index fell more than 350 points Friday amid broad-based losses, while a 2.2. per cent loss on the Nasdaq led the declines in U.S. stock markets. The S&P/TSX composite index closed down 367.05 points at 25,147.03.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
The singer's hits included "For Your Precious Love," "Only the Strong Survive" and "Make It Easy On Yourself."
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Looks like Matt Gaetz could use a lesson on how to read from RuPaul!
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
'The Apprentice Director Ali Abbasi is no longer represented by CAA and Entertainment 360 after being accused of inappropriate conduct.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
'The Apprentice Director Ali Abbasi is no longer represented by CAA and Entertainment 360 after being accused of inappropriate conduct.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
The former Trump advisor later calls the leader of France’s Right-Wing Party 'a pretty boy. He’s never going to be able to lead France.'
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
What does the Proteus weapon actually do?
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
PIERS Morgan has been hounded by his own Baby Reindeer stalker after interviewing the Netflix show’s “real-life” Martha. Felicity Jane Lowde bombarded the TV host with wild accusations of harassmen…
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
The Epoch Times’ Grace Coulter spoke to former British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who announced the launch of a new free speech platform in Europe “with som...
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Even after coming up short in the 4 Nations Face-Off, Bruins goalie Jeremy Swayman believes that Team USA is ready to make strides.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
The only thing The White Lotus Season 3 is missing is Tanya McQuoid.
Read more >> : Cick here
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
Twitter (X), Inc. was an American social media company based in San Francisco, California, which operated and was named for its flagship social media network prior to its rebrand as X. In addition to Twitter, the company previously operated the Vine short video app and Periscope livestreaming service
Twitter (X) is one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 619 million monthly active users worldwide. One of the most exciting features of Twitter (X) is the ability to see what topics are trending in real-time. Twitter trends are a fascinating way to stay up to date on what people are talking about on the platform, and they can also be a valuable tool for businesses and individuals to stay relevant and informed. In this article, we will discuss Twitter (X) trends, how they work, and how you can use them to your advantage.
What are Twitter (X) Worldwide Trends?
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends are a list of topics that are currently being talked about on the platform and also world. The topics on this list change in real-time and are based on the volume of tweets using a particular hashtag or keyword. Twitter (X) Worldwide trends can be localized to a Worldwide country or region or can be global, depending on the topic's popularity.
How Do Twitter (X) Worldwide Trends Work?
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends are generated by an algorithm that analyzes the volume of tweets using a particular hashtag or keyword. When the algorithm detects a sudden increase in tweets using a specific hashtag or keyword, it considers that topic to be trending.
Once a topic is identified as trending, it is added to the list of Twitter (X) Worldwide trends. The topics on this list are ranked based on their popularity, with the most popular topics appearing at the top of the list.
Twitter (X) Worldwide trends can be filtered by location or category, allowing users to see what topics are trending in their area or in a particular industry. Additionally, users can click on a trending topic to see all of the tweets using that hashtag or keyword.
