Mr. Trump shockingly declared: “I don’t really need Elon Musk”; the “victim” just smiled and nodded

During a White House cabinet meeting on Thursday that included Elon Musk, President Donald Trump insisted he didn’t really need the billionaire in his administration despite heaping praise on the Tesla boss.

“Elon has done a great job. He’s sitting here and I’m still talking. I don’t need Musk for anything except that I like him,” Trump said.

Trump also revealed that he bought a Tesla as a show of support for Musk. “I didn’t need his car, but I bought one anyway. They asked me, ‘Do you want a discount?’ I said, ‘No, charge me the highest price.’ I paid a lot of money for it,” Trump said.

At the meeting, Trump also defended Musk: “He’s done a great job, but he’s not being treated right.”

Billionaire Elon Musk was also present at the meeting. In response to Trump’s statements, the world’s richest man just smiled and nodded.

Musk is currently leading spending reduction efforts at the White House DOGE Office, where he holds a special role as a federal employee. DOGE has laid off thousands of government employees and shut down several foreign aid programs in a sweeping spending campaign, causing chaos in the government.

At a cabinet meeting on Thursday, Musk announced that DOGE plans to cut nearly $150 billion in fiscal year 2026. However, the changes have also affected Musk’s business, with Tesla showrooms across the US targeted by protesters, while some Tesla owners have reported their cars being vandalized.

Despite being one of Trump’s most ardent supporters—spending at least $277 million to support him and other Republican candidates in last year’s election—Musk appeared to have fallen out with the administration after Trump announced massive tariffs targeting more than 180 countries.

At a meeting with Italy’s League party, Musk called for a “free trade zone” between Europe and the US. He also criticized Trump’s top adviser Peter Navarro after he called him “a car guy.”

Last week, Vice President JD Vance said in an interview with Fox News that Musk would remain an adviser even after his tenure at DOGE was completed. Trump also said on April 3 that he expected Musk to leave the administration “in the next few months,” but hoped he would stay “as long as possible.”

Under federal regulations, special employees like Musk are limited to working 130 days a year. White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt wrote on social media platform X on April 2: “Elon Musk and President Trump have both publicly confirmed that Elon will be leaving his special employee position after completing an outstanding job at DOGE.”