Trump vs Musk: US President breaks silence on former DOGE chief's ‘drug use' in White House, says ‘Don't know… hope not'
'Hoping' that tech billionaire Elon Musk never used illicit substances in the White House, US President Donald Trump finally broke his silence over whether his former 'First Buddy's' alleged drug use.
According to a report published in Daily Beast, Trump said he's not sure whether Musk used drugs in the White House. These are Trump's first reported public comments about Musk's alleged drug use.
'I really don't know. I don't think so; I hope not. I wish him well. We had a good relationship and I just wish him well; very well actually," the report quoted Trump as saying.
A report published in The New York Times earlier this month levelled bombshell allegations against Elon Musk, who the report claimed excessively consumed drugs while serving as Trump's closest advisors, as well as the chief of Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE).
The report said that Musk was consuming Ketamine so regularly that it was causing him bladder problems.
The report, which quoted multiple sources, also accused Musk of using ecstasy and hallucinogenic mushrooms, and claimed that he was known to travel with a pill box that contained the ADHD drug Adderall.
While Musk acknowledged taking ketamine, which he said was prescribed for him to treat depression, he rejected all other allegations, the Daily Beast report said.
Musk rejected allegations of drug abuse during his final press conference in the Oval Office with the president, and characterised the New York Times report as fake news.
Earlier this month, bromance between the two ended, with both of them engaging in ugly public spats, after Musk criticised Trump's 'big, beautiful bill', calling it a 'disgusting abomination'.
Thus began a very public, and a rather nasty ending to a blossoming and close friendship. Trump called Musk 'crazy', suggesting the latter had 'Trump derangement syndrome'.
As the world watched in amazement, both men brawled over who deserved credit for Trump's election victory, Musk's billions of dollars donation to Trump's election campaign, and finally, Trump's supposed links to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
'Trump initially threatened to cancel billions of dollars of the SpaceX founder's federal contracts. Reports also emerged last week that the president planned to sell or get rid of the red Tesla he bought in March in a dubious favour to Musk, whose electric vehicle company was facing a major backlash over his DOGE cuts,' the Daily Beast report said.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
40 minutes ago
- Business Standard
US visas abuse won't be tolerated: US warns Indian students, tourists
The US Embassy in India on Tuesday warned travellers not to misuse their visas, after a video showing an Indian student in handcuffs at Newark Liberty International Airport drew attention online. 'We cannot and will not tolerate illegal entry, abuse of visas, or the violation of US law,' the embassy said. 'Legitimate travellers are welcome. However, there is no 'right' to visit the United States.' The warning followed widespread circulation of a video on social media showing a visibly distressed Indian student being restrained by officials at Newark airport. The clip was shared by Indian-American entrepreneur Kunal Jain, who claimed the student was being deported and 'treated like a criminal.' Jain wrote that the student was in tears and handcuffed before being sent back to India. The Indian Consulate General in New York said it had taken up the matter with authorities. 'We have come across social media posts claiming that an Indian national is facing difficulties at Newark Liberty International Airport. We are in touch with local authorities in this regard,' the consulate posted on X. The student's identity, visa type, and reason for removal have not been officially disclosed. Tighter immigration rules under Trump The video of the handcuffed Indian student has surfaced at a time when the Trump administration is stepping up immigration enforcement across multiple fronts. In recent weeks, US President Donald Trump has ordered the deportation of thousands of undocumented immigrants. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers have been conducting large-scale operations, particularly targeting those who have overstayed visas or crossed the border unlawfully. Many of these individuals are being held in detention centres pending removal. On June 8, 2025, Trump approved the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles, following days of protests against immigration raids and detention policies. The protests, led by student groups and migrant rights organisations, turned tense after federal agents cracked down on university campuses where demonstrators were calling for a halt to deportations and visa cancellations. The administration has also expanded its list of restricted countries. Nationals from 12 countries—Afghanistan, Myanmar, Chad, Congo-Brazzaville, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen—are currently barred from entering the US. No visas are being issued to individuals from these countries, except in rare humanitarian circumstances. In universities, foreign students have come under heightened scrutiny. Several student visa holders have faced disciplinary action or been placed under investigation following their participation in pro-Palestinian protests on campuses in 2024. The Department of Homeland Security has instructed universities to report any student believed to be involved in activities that could be considered disruptive or linked to political unrest. Indian students in the US have raised concerns about increased visa checks, sudden removals, and surveillance. While no formal policy targeting Indian nationals has been announced, recent cases have contributed to a growing sense of uncertainty among international students. Students from India form one of the largest groups of international students in the United States. In 2024, they accounted for more than 27% of all international enrolments, according to US government data. Indian officials have not confirmed whether the deported student in the video had violated visa rules.
NDTV
43 minutes ago
- NDTV
Allies To Rivals To Allies Again? Timeline Of Musk-Trump Feud
It was the third week of Donald Trump's second term in the Oval Office. His most trusted lieutenant, Elon Musk, led a massive initiative, Department of Government Efficiency (DoGE), to slash federal spending. On February 7, the billionaire, who spent roughly $300 million on the Republican candidate's election campaign, posted on X, "I love@realDonaldTrump as much as a straight man can love another man." Much water has flown under the bridge since Musk proclaimed his love for Trump. Almost everything has changed. The Tesla CEO is no longer a part of the Trump administration, and the duo has had an ugly fallout, all in public. And now, Musk has blinked, admitting he went "too far" in his recent online attacks against Trump. "I regret some of my posts about President @realDonaldTrump last week," the Tesla CEO wrote on X. "They went too far." The feud started after Musk called Trump's tax bill a "disgusting abomination." It quickly spiralled, with the billionaire suggesting the President be impeached and accusing the government of hiding his ties to Jeffrey Epstein, the late convicted sex offender. Timeline: The Trump-Musk Feud May 29 Elon Musk announced he would be stepping down from his role in the Trump administration after finishing his term as a special government employee. He led DoGE. June 2 Donald Trump defended his landmark economic proposal, known as the "One Big Beautiful Bill," on Truth Social, "Many false statements are being made about our big, beautiful bill." June 3 Elon Musk posted a fiery critique of Trump's spending bill. "I just can't stand it anymore. This massive, outrageous, pork-filled Congressional spending bill is a disgusting abomination. Shame on those who voted for it: you know you did wrong. You know it," he wrote on X. He added in a follow-up post, "It will massively increase the already gigantic budget deficit to $2.5 trillion (!!!) and burden American citizens with crushingly unsustainable debt." June 4 Elon Musk suggested Congress needs to write a new bill. "A new spending bill should be drafted that doesn't massively grow the deficit and increase the debt ceiling by 5 TRILLION DOLLARS," he said. June 5 Musk asked to " Kill the bill." "Call your Senator, Call your Congressman, Bankrupting America is NOT ok! KILL the BILL." The same day, in response to Trump saying Musk was upset over EV subsidy cuts, Musk posted, "Keep the EV/solar incentive cuts in the bill, even though no oil & gas subsidies are touched (very unfair!!), but ditch the MOUNTAIN of DISGUSTING PORK in the bill." "In the entire history of civilization, there has never been legislation that is both big and beautiful. Everyone knows this!" "Either you get a big and ugly bill or a slim and beautiful bill. Slim and beautiful is the way." Then came the bombshell. "Time to drop the really big bomb: Donald Trump is in the Epstein files. That is the real reason they have not been made public. Have a nice day, DJT!," Musk wrote in an X post, which he later deleted. Musk even appeared to support Trump's impeachment. At the White House, Trump replied, "Elon and I had a great relationship. I don't know if we will any more. Very disappointed in Elon." He also revealed Musk was "aware" of the bill. Musk shot back, "False. This bill was never shown to me even once and was passed in the dead of night so fast that almost no one in Congress would even read it!" Then came more jabs. "Without me, Trump would have lost the election, Dems would control the House and the Republicans would be 51-49 in the Senate. Such ingratitude," he said. "The Big Ugly Bill will INCREASE the deficit to $2.5 trillion," he added. He even proposed a new party, "Is it time to create a new political party in America that actually represents the 80% in the middle?" Musk also dug up Trump's old 2012-2013 tweets slamming government overspending, calling him out and asking, "Where is this guy today??" June 6 Trump fired back on Truth Social. He wrote, "Elon was 'wearing thin,' I asked him to leave, I took away his EV Mandate that forced everyone to buy Electric Cars that nobody else wanted (that he knew for months I was going to do!), and he just went CRAZY!" He added, "The easiest way to save money in our Budget is to terminate Elon's Governmental Subsidies and Contracts". He also said, "I don't mind Elon turning against me, but he should have done so months ago." Elon Musk said, "If this bill passes, we will decommission our Dragon capsules and halt cooperation with NASA's deep space initiatives." He later took back his words. Musk also posted, "Tariffs will cause a recession in the second half of this year." Asked about Musk in an ABC interview, Donald Trump said, "You mean the man who has lost his mind?" He also warned of "serious consequences" if Musk supports Democrats in 2026, and said he had no plans to reconcile. Later that day, Musk appeared to soften. Replying to billionaire Bill Ackman's peace offer, he said, " You're not wrong." June 10 Trump told reporters, "I just wish [Musk] well." Musk responded to the video with a red heart emoji on X. June 11
Time of India
44 minutes ago
- Time of India
Greta Thunberg hits back at Donald Trump after Gaza detention: ‘we need more angry women', says activist deported by Israel
Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg has responded to the U.S. President Donald Trump's recent remarks about her temperament. Trump had described her as a 'strange' and 'angry young person' following her involvement in an aid mission to Gaza, which ended in her brief detention by Israeli forces. Trump criticises Thunberg after Israeli detention The exchange began after Thunberg was detained by Israeli authorities while aboard the Madleen, a British-flagged vessel participating in the Freedom Flotilla's mission to deliver humanitarian supplies to Gaza. The boat, part of a coalition-led pro-Palestine effort, left Italy on June 1. Responding to the incident, Trump commented, 'Anger management — I think she has to go to an anger management class. That's my primary recommendation for her… Israel has enough problems without kidnapping Greta Thunberg.' Thunberg had earlier described her team's detainment as 'kidnapping' by Israeli forces. Israel rejected those allegations, calling them unfounded. Officials stated that the activists were deported in line with international legal standards. Thunberg responds to Trump and defends her actions Following her deportation, Thunberg landed in Paris and addressed the media at Charles de Gaulle Airport. When asked about Trump's remarks, she said, 'I think the world needs many more young angry women, to be honest. Especially with everything going on right now. That's the thing we need the most of.' She also stood by her criticism of Israeli authorities. Speaking to reporters, Thunberg accused Israel of breaching international obligations, stating, 'This is yet another intentional violation of rights that is added to the list of countless other violations that Israel is committing.' She added that her boat was intercepted early Monday and her team was forcibly taken to Israel—actions she considers to be violations of both maritime and human rights law. Longstanding tensions between Thunberg and Trump The confrontation adds to a history of public disagreement between the two figures. Their exchange dates back to 2019, when Trump responded sarcastically to Thunberg's United Nations speech, calling her a 'very happy young girl.' Later that year, after Thunberg was named Time Magazine's 'Person of the Year,' Trump again mocked her on social media, suggesting she 'work on her Anger Management problem' and 'chill.' Thunberg's recent remarks and Trump's criticism reflect ongoing tensions, now amplified by the international spotlight on Gaza and aid missions.
