Musk Wields Chainsaw Given by Milei

Before a conservative audience at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) near Washington, billionaire Elon Musk took the stage wielding a red chainsaw— a gift from Argentina’s President Javier Milei—symbolising his call for drastic federal spending cuts.

He accused Democrats of “treason” and pledged support for auditing the Federal Reserve.

Now regarded as one of President Trump’s most influential advisers, Musk also criticised Biden’s immigration policies, singling out an app that granted one million people two-year work permits in the US.

Musk Dubs Milei’s Gift as “The Chainsaw for Bureaucracy”

Earlier, Musk met with Argentine President Javier Milei, who gifted him a chainsaw engraved with “Viva la libertad, carajo” (“Long live liberty, damn it”).

Musk dubbed it “the chainsaw for bureaucracy” and jokingly remarked that Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele was concerned for his safety.

When asked about his mindset, Musk—sporting his signature black hat and sunglasses—simply described it as "a storm."

Following Musk on stage, Steve Bannon received a more subdued response.

He joked:

“How did I draw the card to follow Elon Musk? I’m just a crazy Irishman!”

Meanwhile, Musk is spearheading sweeping government cuts under President Donald Trump, affecting agencies from banking regulators to forest services and space programmes.

On Thursday alone, 6,000 IRS employees were reportedly notified of their termination.

As CEO of Tesla and the world’s richest man, Musk has openly championed Milei’s aggressive stance on reducing government size.

Before becoming Argentina’s president in late 2023, Milei famously wielded a chainsaw at campaign rallies to symbolise his economic reforms.

But as Musk brandished his own gifted chainsaw on stage, was it a bold statement against bureaucracy or just another political spectacle?