Billionaire Elon Musk, who has emerged as a key advisor to Donald Trump in the US President’s second term, which began last month, waved a chainsaw during an appearance at a conservative gathering outside Washington on Thursday.
“The chainsaw is for the bureaucracy,” said Musk, the world’s richest person who heads the newly created Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE, in the second Trump presidency.
It was gifted to him by Trump’s Argentine counterpart Javier Milei, who also attended the Conservative Political Action Conference.
After the Tesla and SpaceX CEO 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 out with the red chainsaw and presented it to Musk.
The power tool was engraved with Milei’s slogan, “Viva la libertad, carajo,” Spanish for “Long live liberty, damn it.”
What does the chainsaw signify?
At the event, Elon Musk spoke about his “crusade” to cut government spending and downsize the federal workforce with DOGE, set up by the Trump administration as a cost-cutting effort by the US government.
When television personality Rob Schmitt, the event’s host, asked if Musk would consider auditing the Federal Reserve, the latter responded, “Yeah, sure, while we’re at it.”
“Waste is pretty much everywhere,” the X owner added.
When asked to describe what it is like ‘inside his mind,’ the South African-born entrepreneur replied: “My mind is a storm. It’s a storm.”
Elon Musk and Javier Milei
The DOGE boss has, on multiple occasions, praised Milei, who popularised the chainsaw during his victorious campaign in 2023, and proposed slashing public spending.
Milei was among the world leaders from the so-called far-right, who attended Trump’s inauguration ceremony in Washington on January 20.
(With Associated Press inputs)
