Elon Musk made a surprise appearance at a major conservative conference in Washington, brandishing a chainsaw on stage and making controversial comments about the Ukraine war. The unpredictable tech tycoon accused the conflict of being a corrupt “graft machine” where individuals are being “sent into the meat grinder for money.”
Musk, donning dark glasses and a ‘dark MAGA’ hat, was welcomed to the pro-Trump CPAC stage by host Rob Schmitt. In a bizarre twist during the talk, Argentinian President Javier Milei presented Musk with a large black and red chainsaw, which Musk enthusiastically waved around, shouting “The chainsaw of democracy! Chainsaw! Wooo!”
He also dubbed the tool as “the DOGE sword” alluding to his government cost-cutting drive that has resulted in thousands of Americans losing their jobs. The red chainsaw brandished by Musk bore Javier Milei’s slogan, “Viva la libertad, carajo,” translating to “Long live liberty, damn it.”
During a Q&A session, Musk was questioned about Donald Trump’s stance on the Ukraine war, leading him to seemingly accuse Volodymyr Zelensky of corruption. He stated: “First of all I think we should have empathy for people dying on the front lines…how many more years is this supposed to go on?”
The billionaire went on to say: “Imagine if that was your son, or your father. And what are they dying for? What exactly are they dying for? The line has barely moved for two years. There’s a bunch of people dying in trenches, for what? I’ll tell you for what. For the biggest graft machine I’ve ever seen.
“It’s unreal. The amount of money that has been taken in graft and bribery is disgusting. And so what’s actually happening is that those poor guys are being sent into a meat grinder for money.
“That’s what’s actually going on. And it needs to stop.”
In American slang, ‘Graft’ is used to mean a form of political corruption defined as the unscrupulous use of a politician’s authority for personal gain, reports the Mirror.
Musk appeared on stage soon after Nigel Farage lauded him in his speech at CPAC, saying: “You then couldn’t say anything about vaccines or about lockdowns without social media closing you down.”
Additionally, Farage heralded Musk as the “hero of free speech,” declaring: “And then along came the hero of free speech, Elon Musk.”
The Reform leader continued his accolades for Musk, commending his leadership of the “Department for Government Efficiency” (Doge), which has recently implemented significant slashes to US government projects—an action that has sparked legal challenges.
He said: “I believe that the talents of the world’s most successful businessman, going into this amazing Doge project, I wish him all the luck in the world and godspeed, I really, really do.”
Mr Farage’s commendation of the Tesla and SpaceX mogul comes after a reported rift between them in January, when Mr Musk stated that Farage “doesn’t have what it takes” to steer his party to victory. The disagreement hinged on Mr Musk’s backing of the incarcerated far-right figure Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon – an endorsement Mr Farage has steadfastly declined to make.
Prior to this, Mr Musk seemed to be in Farage’s corner, having met with him and Reform’s treasurer Nick Candy in the US, and was even rumoured to be mulling over a hefty donation to the party. Despite the tension, Mr Farage later maintained that he was “on good terms” with Mr Musk, although the tycoon also hinted that Reform MP Rupert Lowe should assume leadership of the party.
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