WASHINGTON — Indeed, there was a chainsaw — a present from Argentine President Javier Milei — and an unusual pair of sunglasses reminiscent of Officer Barbrady from “South Park,” but the key takeaway from Elon Musk’s recent appearance at CPAC was the undeniable presence of the “tech bro” identity in a man both admired and criticized for his initiatives to reduce government spending.
“I’m just living the dream, pretty much,” he shared with NewsMax host Rob Smith right after his entrance was met with a lengthy standing ovation at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor.
“I mean, DOGE began as a meme,” he remarked regarding President Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency. “Think about it. And now it’s a reality.”
“It’s wild, but it’s awesome,” Musk added.
As he spoke, numerous attendees — likely hundreds — from the audience of around 3,000 jumped from their seats to capture quick photos or videos of the Trump administration’s top celebrity — just behind the president himself, of course.
Smith, for his part, tossed Musk softball questions one after another.
For instance, he inquired how Musk would have reacted if someone had told him a year ago that he’d be addressing CPAC while collaborating with the president “to completely shred the government swamp.”
Musk quickly confessed that he wouldn’t have believed it.
“But this is cool. This is amazing,” he responded.
“And thanks for your support,” he acknowledged, leading to an eruption of applause from the CPAC loyalists in the crowd.
“It feels great to achieve positive outcomes,” he noted, adding unexpectedly that it’s also crucial to “have a good time” and “you know, like, a sense of humor.”
“I mean, the left wanted to make comedy illegal. They can’t joke about anything. Their stance was like, ‘comedy is terrible’ and ‘nothing is funny’ and ‘you can’t joke about anything.’ Let’s legalize comedy,” Musk asserted.
“You shifted the entire culture,” Smith remarked, attempting to steer the chat back to DOGE.
“Just in the past few months, the cultural shift has been significant … mainly because of the election,” he stated.
“Yeah, exactly,” Musk concurred. “With freedom of speech seeming to have won the day, it feels like you should enjoy yourself, even have an amazing time.”
“Everyone in this venue is thrilled,” Smith observed. “Talking to conservatives, the overall happiness is palpable, with a deep sense of relief following the previous four tumultuous years …”
“I thought we were on the brink of a point of no return,” Musk agreed. “That’s why it was critical for Trump to win the election and for the Senate to be Republican, which is wonderful.”
Now that they had returned to political matters, Smith pointed out that for a long time, Musk aimed to remain neutral and was largely politically apolitical.
This changed early in the 2024 presidential race when Musk first backed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.
DeSantis even launched his ultimately unsuccessful presidential campaign on the platform formerly known as Twitter, with Musk moderating the announcement on the social media site he had just acquired.
Instead of bringing up Musk’s transient support of DeSantis, Smith jumped straight to Musk’s acceptance of Trump and his MAGA movement.
“You’ve picked a side,” Smith asserted. “Was there a specific moment when your perspective shifted?”
“Yes, it was when I realized I had been naive,” Musk responded, earning more applause.
“I mean, I guess I had been politically neutral for quite some time, slightly leaning toward the Democrats, but then they went off the rails,” he stated.
“That entire cancel-culture [which evolved under their leadership] … it aims to curb freedom of speech and generally infringe upon individuals’ liberties. Over time, it seemed to me that their primary desire was for state control … of everything,” Musk continued.
“My view has become that we need to restore the fundamental aspects that made America exceptional, which include freedom and opportunity,” he elaborated.
“My initial objective before stepping into politics was to contribute positively,” Musk shared. “I fundamentally just want to create products and offer services that are beneficial. I wasn’t particularly inclined to criticize the federal government … but there comes a point when you simply have no choice.”
Musk’s attempts to scrutinize and ultimately dismantle the federal bureaucracy have sparked a wave of criticism from those who view his strategies regarding workforce cuts, operational changes, and grant cancellations as heavy-handed.
Over the past weekend, he frustrated some colleagues in the administration by sending an email to all federal staff instructing them to summarize their weekly accomplishments, warning that failure to comply could result in their removal.
By Monday, several Trump-appointed officials from various agencies — including the FBI, Defense, and State Departments — advised their employees against responding to Musk’s directive.
Last week, Smith inquired about Musk’s experience transitioning “from neutral to being vilified.”
“You mean like when people chant for my demise?” Musk jested, attempting to deflect the question with humor.
“Look, people adore DOGE,” he proclaimed, igniting another wave of loud applause from the CPAC attendees.
“Everyone understands that the government is rife with waste, fraud, and abuse,” Musk continued.
He attributed the hostility and backlash aimed at him to the coverage by “legacy media companies,” which he claims have a vested interest in maintaining the bureaucracy because of the “significant amount of real tax dollars” that flow to them each year.
“That’s why you see them framing a photo with like, six people and declaring, ‘See, DOGE lacks popular support.’
“But in reality, there’s no one else there … all they have are those six individuals … while the vast majority of Americans are outraged to discover that hundreds of billions of dollars are annually funneled to these so-called NGOs [Non-Governmental Organizations], funding initiatives that are fundamentally anti-American.
“And indeed, substantial amounts of legitimate tax revenue go to sustaining these legacy media organizations,” he stated. “This clarifies why news reports from these companies all convey the same narrative at the same time. They act as mouthpieces for the state.”
Musk was also prompted to respond to discussions about a proposed plan to provide a $5,000 stimulus check to every eligible taxpayer, funded by a portion of the savings achieved through DOGE.
Musk confirmed that the proposal is valid and mentioned that he has discussed it with the president, who is “supportive” of the plan.
Referring to the found money as “the spoils of battle,” Musk remarked that given the president’s endorsement, “it seems like something we are going to pursue.”
“People often ask me, ‘What’s been the most surprising aspect since I arrived in DC?’ And I always respond that the most shocking element is the sheer scale of expenditures and how surprisingly easy it is — simply by asserting a level of care and competence that was previously lacking — to save billions of dollars.”
Even without the stimulus checks, he noted, “the savings we will achieve are poised to lead directly to a reduction in taxes.”
Yet, Musk, as Smith aptly described, is somewhat of a “wanted man” in Washington, D.C.
“Are you worried about your personal safety?” he asked.
“Well, I don’t particularly have a death wish,” Musk replied, adding with a grin, “I’m open to suggestions for premium security.”
“But honestly, it’s not straightforward. I received a call from President [Nayib] Bukele of El Salvador, a leader who has managed to incarcerate around 100,000 dangerous criminals, who expressed concern for my safety. That really makes you think.
“However, the threats and such, the intense rhetoric, are part of the territory,” he stated. “Clearly, there are individuals out there declaring, ‘You guys are tampering with things that should not be touched.’
“We are contending with numerous opponents who really don’t want specific changes to occur. We’re battling the system aggressively here, but it must be done,” Musk concluded.
Dan can be reached at [email protected] and on X @DanMcCue
