Musk says, in retrospect, infamous chainsaw stunt was a mistake

Elon Musk is reflecting on some of his more infamous moments during the 2024 presidential campaign, claiming one in particular “lacked empathy.”

Musk’s excitement over being involved in the campaign of President Donald Trump was palpable; one could tell he truly felt like he was making a difference. In a moment that quickly went viral, the billionaire walked out onto the CPAC stage in Washington, D.C., wielding a chainsaw that had been given to him by Argentine President Javier Milei.

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At the end of last month, Musk posted an X status claiming that hitting the debt ceiling will be the only way to force the government to finally deal with waste and fraud, something he had been tasked with handling under Trump’s administration. A user responded by recalling that the chainsaw stunt, saying Musk acted like a “fool” when he should have had his nose to the grindstone.

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“Maybe you shouldn’t have taken the chainsaw on stage and acted a fool. Maybe you could have gotten more done if you weren’t so worried about looking cool,” the user wrote, prompting Musk to reply. But rather than issue a snarky retort like many have come to expect, the response was contrite and reflective.

“Valid point. Milei gave me the chainsaw backstage and I ran with it, but, in retrospect, it lacked empathy,” Musk said.

X users responded to Musk’s admission:

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Sierra Marlee

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