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Malay Mail
2 days ago
- General
- Malay Mail
‘I am not taking drugs!' Musk denies damning report
WASHINGTON, June 1 — Elon Musk yesterday denied a report that he used ketamine and other drugs extensively last year on the 2024 campaign trail. The New York Times reported Friday that the billionaire adviser to President Donald Trump used so much ketamine, a powerful anaesthetic, that he developed bladder problems. The newspaper said the world's richest person also took ecstasy and mushrooms and travelled with a pill box last year, adding that it was not known whether Musk also took drugs while heading the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) after Trump took power in January. In a post yesterday on X, Musk said: 'To be clear, I am NOT taking drugs! The New York Times was lying their ass off.' He added: 'I tried 'prescription' ketamine a few years ago and said so on X, so this not even news. It helps for getting out of dark mental holes, but haven't taken it since then.' Musk first dodged a question about his drug use at a bizarre farewell appearance Friday with Trump in the Oval Office in which the Tesla and SpaceX boss sported a noticeable black eye as he formally ended his role as Trump's main cost-cutter at DOGE, which fired tens of thousands of civil servants. News of the injury drew substantial attention as it came right after the Times report on his alleged drug use. The daily recalled erratic behavior such as Musk giving an enthusiastic Nazi-style salute last year. Musk said he got the injury while horsing around with his young son, named X, when he told the child to hit him in the face. 'And he did. Turns out even a five-year-old punching you in the face actually is...' he added, before tailing off. Later Friday, when a reporter asked Trump if he was aware of Musk's 'regular drug use,' Trump responded: 'I wasn't.' 'I think Elon is a fantastic guy,' he added. Musk has previously admitted to taking ketamine, saying he was prescribed it to treat a 'negative frame of mind' and suggesting his use of drugs benefited his work. — AFP
South China Morning Post
2 days ago
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Drug claims overshadow Elon Musk's farewell with Trump in the Oval Office
Elon Musk faced accusations on Friday that he used so much ketamine on the 2024 campaign trail that he developed bladder problems, as the billionaire gave a farewell press conference with US President Donald Trump. A New York Times report that Musk's drug use had caused concerns was published just hours before he appeared with Trump in the White House on his last day as the US government's cost cutter-in-chief. The newspaper said the world's richest man also took Ecstasy and mushrooms and travelled with a pill box last year, adding that it was not known whether Musk also took drugs while heading the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (Doge). The South African-born tech tycoon, the biggest donor to Trump's 2024 election campaign, told people that ketamine, an anaesthetic that can cause dissociation, had affected his bladder, the Times added, noting that it was a known effect of long-term use. Space X and Tesla boss Musk did not immediately comment, but the White House played down the report. Asked if he was concerned about alleged drug use by Musk, Trump's Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller told reporters: 'The drugs that we're concerned about are the drugs running across the southern border.' Musk has previously admitted to taking ketamine, saying he was prescribed it to treat a 'negative frame of mind' and suggesting his use of drugs benefited his work.
South China Morning Post
3 days ago
- Health
- South China Morning Post
Drug claims overshadow Elon Musk's Oval Office farewell with Trump
Elon Musk faced accusations on Friday that he used so much ketamine on the 2024 campaign trail that he developed bladder problems, as the billionaire gave a farewell press conference with US President Donald Trump. Advertisement A New York Times report that Musk's drug use had caused concerns was published just hours before he appeared with Trump in the White House on his last day as the US government's cost cutter-in-chief. The newspaper said the world's richest man also took Ecstasy and mushrooms and travelled with a pill box last year, adding that it was not known whether Musk also took drugs while heading the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (Doge). The South African-born tech tycoon, the biggest donor to Trump's 2024 election campaign, told people that ketamine, an anaesthetic that can cause dissociation, had affected his bladder, the Times added, noting that it was a known effect of long-term use. Space X and Tesla boss Musk did not immediately comment, but the White House played down the report. Asked if he was concerned about alleged drug use by Musk, Trump's Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller told reporters: 'The drugs that we're concerned about are the drugs running across the southern border.' Advertisement Musk has previously admitted to taking ketamine, saying he was prescribed it to treat a 'negative frame of mind' and suggesting his use of drugs benefited his work.
News.com.au
3 days ago
- Health
- News.com.au
Drug claims overshadow Musk's Oval Office farewell
Elon Musk faced accusations Friday that he used so much ketamine on the 2024 campaign trail that he developed bladder problems, as the billionaire prepared to give a farewell press conference with Donald Trump. A New York Times report that Musk's drug use had caused concerns was published just hours before he was to appear with Trump in the White House on his last day as the US government's cost cutter-in-chief. The newspaper said the world's richest man also took ecstasy and mushrooms and traveled with a pill box last year, adding that it was not known whether Musk also took drugs while heading the so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The South African-born tech tycoon, the biggest donor to Trump's 2024 election campaign, told people that ketamine, an anesthetic that can cause dissociation, had affected his bladder, the NYT added, noting that it was a known effect of long-term use. Space X and Tesla boss Musk did not immediately comment, but the White House played down the report. Asked if he was concerned about alleged drug use by Musk, Trump's Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller told reporters: "The drugs that we're concerned about are the drugs running across the southern border." Trump's administration has pledged to crack down on migration and the flow of the opiate fentanyl from Mexico. Miller separately told CNN when asked if Musk had been drug tested while working for the White House: "You'll have the opportunity to ask Elon all the questions you want today yourself." Musk has previously admitted to taking ketamine, saying he was prescribed it to treat a "negative frame of mind" and suggesting his use of drugs benefited his work. - 'Terrific' - The latest claims will add to the challenge of putting a positive spin on Musk's departure after just four turbulent months. Trump has announced a joint press conference in the Oval Office at 1.30 pm (1730 GMT). The president praised the "terrific" Musk on Thursday and insisted that his influence would continue despite him returning to his companies. "This will be his last day, but not really, because he will, always, be with us, helping all the way," Trump said on his Truth Social network. But the news conference will be a far cry from Musk's first appearance in the Oval Office in February, when he brought his young son with him and outshone even the attention-seeking president himself. At the time the 53-year-old was almost inseparable from Trump, glued to his side on Air Force One, Marine One, in the White House and at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. Yet Musk is now leaving Trump's administration under a cloud, after admitting disillusionment with his role and criticizing the Republican president's spending plans. - 'Disappointed' - The right-wing magnate's DOGE led an ideologically-driven rampage through the federal government, with its young "tech bros" slashing tens of thousands of jobs. It has also shuttered whole departments including the US Agency for International Development (USAID), leading to huge cuts in foreign aid that critics say will hit some of the world's poorest people and help US rivals. But DOGE's achievements fell far short of Musk's boasts when he blazed into Washington brandishing a chainsaw at a conservative event and bragged that it would be easy to cut two trillion dollars. In reality, the independent "Doge Tracker" site has counted just $12 billion in savings while the Atlantic magazine put it far lower, at $2 billion. Musk's "move fast and break things" mantra was also at odds with some of his cabinet colleagues, and he said earlier this week that he was "disappointed" in Trump's planned mega tax and spending bill as it undermined DOGE's cuts. Musk's companies, meanwhile, have suffered. Tesla shareholders called for him to return to work as sales slumped and protests targeted the electric vehicle maker, while Space X had a series of fiery rocket failures.
The Guardian
16-05-2025
- Politics
- The Guardian
Polish presidential hopefuls in final campaign push
Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature Morning opening: Building up to Super Sunday Show key events only Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature Jakub Krupa Good morning, or dzień dobry , from Warsaw, Poland, where 13 presidential candidates are up very early to make the most of the last day before the 'electoral silence' kicks in ahead of this Sunday's first round of the presidential vote. With leading contenders hitting the campaign trail around 6am local time today, it's going to be a long day ahead for them as they hope to convince some undecided voters in what looks like an increasingly tight race. The frontrunner, Warsaw mayor Rafał Trzaskowski, popped in to a bakery in Myśliborz, while his main rival, conservative Karol Nawrocki, went to say hi to miners. You get the idea. I have spent the last few days here talking to voters and attending rallies by candidates ranging from far-left to far-right, and I will bring you some of what I saw and heard today and over the weekend. The candidates have only until midnight to campaign, and they want to make every minute count. I will bring you more updates on this throughout the day, as we build up to Super Sunday with elections not only in Poland, with Portugal set to choose its next government and a super close presidential run-off in Romania. Portraits of Portuguese political parties' leaders are displayed on a TV monitor before the start of an election TV debate, ahead of the general election, in Carcavelos, outside Lisbon. Photograph: Armando França/AP A billboard displays electoral posters of the candidates for the 2025 presidential election runoff, in Bucharest, Romania. Photograph: Robert Ghement/EPA But we will also keep an eye on the European Political Community summit in Tirana, Albania, where key European leaders are expected to talk about the future of the continent. Britain's Starmer, Germany's Merz, France's Macron, Turkey's Erdogan, Poland's Tusk, and EU's von der Leyen and Costa are all there. I will bring you all the key updates throughout the day. It's Friday, 16 May 2025, it's Jakub Krupa here, and this is Europe Live. Good morning. Share
