Journalist Gathering Gives Way to Elon Musk's First Interview, With Remarks Drawing Buddha Likenedess
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Elon Musk, billionaire visionary and top Trump advisor, opened up to the media like never before, breaking free from his comfort zone of Fox News, conservative podcasts, and Twitter chats. Sitting down with a group of mainstream reporters in the West Wing's Roosevelt Room, he reflected on his time in the administration and even compared himself to an iconic religious figure.
In an interview with The Washington Post, Musk pondered, "Is Buddha needed for Buddhism? Was it not stronger after he passed away?" when asked about who would lead his department, Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), in his absence. Reporters from heavyweights like The New York Times, USA Today, Axios, Semafor, Bloomberg, ABC, NBC, and even Fox News - yes, Fox News - were part of this unprecedented meeting. The AP was also there, a notable inclusion given the White House's attempt to remove them from press events in the past.
This impromptu gathering came together quickly. White House officials extended invitations to reporters early Wednesday morning, giving them about an hour to respond. The interview, which lasted approximately an hour, took place in the late afternoon.
Musk was reportedly engaged with the reporters and, despite his longstanding adversarial relationship with the mainstream press, proved to be far from confrontational. In fact, he even sounded a bit defeated, according to some reporters' coverage of the meeting.
During the conversation, Musk admitted that DOGE has not yet reached the $1 trillion in cuts he initially aimed for. Instead, he said, he's cut around $160 billion, and he acknowledged that reaching his goal would be "really difficult" without more support from Congress.
"It's sort of, how much pain is the Cabinet and the Congress willing to take?" Musk said according to the AP. "It can be done, but it requires dealing with a lot of complaints."
Musk also admitted that, in the process of culling the federal workforce, some essential employees were "accidently let go." The heavy-handed spending cuts have incurred widespread backlash, aimed not only at Republican leadership but also at Musk himself.
Moreover, Musk shared personal anecdotes about his relationship with former President Trump. He revealed that he stayed in the Lincoln Bedroom "more than once" and that Trump once implored him in a late-night call to get some caramel-flavored Haagen-Dazs ice cream from the White House kitchen - a story that made its way to USA Today.
Despite reducing his time spent in Washington, Musk plans to keep his office on the White House grounds. He joked that it might make it harder for someone to take a shot at him, given the office's poor view of an HVAC unit. Musk also boasted that his office would still have the largest computer monitor on the premises.
"DOGE is a way of life," he said.
Enrichment Data:- DOGE's performance: Musk acknowledged struggling to meet his $2 trillion goal of federal spending cuts, stating that he has only managed to cut around $160 billion so far.- Federal workforce cuts: About 20,000 federal workers, or 1% of the workforce, have been cut, leading to criticism about the initiative's cost-benefit ratio.- Relationship with Trump: Musk shared personal anecdotes about his relationship with Trump, including staying overnight at the White House and Mar-a-Lago and partaking in spontaneous ice cream runs.- Surreal government role: Musk joked about his role leading DOGE, comparing it to a "meme coin" concept and questioning if "we're in a simulation."
Impact and reactions:- Backlash: The federal workforce cuts have drawn criticism for their cost-benefit ratio, with many questioning whether the savings justify the operational disruptions.- Operational challenges: Musk cited internal administration resistance and the difficulty of sustaining cuts, stating that Congress would need to be willing to endure significant pain to achieve his goal.- Future plans: Musk intends to reduce his involvement in Washington but plans to remain involved "as long as the president wants," describing DOGE as a volunteer-driven effort.
- Elon Musk, while discussing his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), rhetorically questioned if a figure is necessary for the continuation of a movement, likening Buddha to his own leadership role.
- Despite Musk's initial aim to cut $2 trillion in federal spending, he admitted during the interview that he has only managed to cut around $160 billion so far, acknowledging that reaching his goal would be challenging without more support from Congress.
- The unexpected meeting with mainstream reporters saw Musk engaged and far from confrontational, despite his adversarial relationship with the media. However, some reporters reported he sounded a bit defeated.
- Amidst the heavy-handed spending cuts, Musk admitted that essential employees were "accidentally let go," leading to widespread backlash aimed not only at Republican leadership but also at Musk himself.
- Musk opened up about his personal relationship with former President Trump, sharing anecdotes such as staying overnight in the Lincoln Bedroom and being asked to fetch caramel-flavored ice cream from the White House kitchen.
- In a lighter moment, Musk joked that his continued presence on the White House grounds, despite reducing his time spent in Washington, would provide some level of protection due to his office's poor view of an HVAC unit, and that it would still boast the largest computer monitor on the premises, embodying the DOGE ethos.
