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Musk In Chainsaw Massacre Mood At DOGE

February 21, 2025 12:14 IST

Elon Musk brandished a chainsaw, a gift from Argentina's President Javier Milei, while on stage at the Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland, February 20, 2025.

As Musk takes on the role of reducing federal government spending in the US at DOGE, he declared, "This is the chainsaw for bureaucracy."

The chainsaw bears an engraving of Milei's blunt Spanish slogan Viva la libertad, carajo, which roughly translates to 'Long live freedom, damn it!'

Before becoming Argentina's president in 2023, Milei famously wielded a chainsaw at campaign rallies to symbolise his commitment to downsizing government.

Under President Donald J Trump, Musk is overseeing extensive budget cuts affecting bank regulators, forest workers, rocket scientists, and tens of thousands of other federal employees.

Reports suggest that on Thursday, 6,000 employees at the US Internal Revenue Service were informed of their impending termination.

IMAGE: Elon Musk holds up a chainsaw onstage at the CPAC. All photographs: Nathan Howard/Reuters

IMAGE: Musk greets President Javier Milei at the CPAC.

IMAGE: Milei gives Musk the two thumbs up.

IMAGE: CPAC -- an annual convention featuring American conservatives and businessmen to champion conservative ideas -- has become a rallying point for Trumpism in recent years.
Ronald Reagan, once the patron saint of American conservatives, has been rudely discarded for what passes as Trump's conservatism.

IMAGE: Musk holds a painting given to him by an audience member at CPAC.

IMAGE: Musk may have been the star speaker on Thursday, even overshadowing Vice President J D Vance, but wait till Trump turns up on the weekend at CPAC.

IMAGE: When Musk turned conservative is a political mystery that needs to be solved one of these days.

IMAGE: Musk turned Trump groupie days after the former president was targeted by an assassin in Pennsylvania last July, pouring $250 million of his own money to get Donald elected.

IMAGE: Attendees cheer as Musk appears onstage.

Photographs curated by Manisha Kotian/ Rediff.com
Feature Presentation: Ashish Narsale/Rediff.com

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