It should probably come as no surprise that Elon Musk’s recent appearance from the Oval Office has been met with a degree of controversy.
The SpaceX and Tesla founder, now acting head of the newly-formed Department of Government Efficiency, answered a number of questions from the press, including a particularly strange one regarding a supposed shipment of $50 million worth of condoms to Gaza.
Musk’s active role in the White House has drawn significant criticism from some quarters. The 53-year-old has never stood in any election but was appointed by President Donald Trump after supporting Trump’s campaign with millions of dollars and an aggressive PR campaign on his social media platform, X.
Trump’s first few weeks in office have been predictably eventful, with the real-estate mogul signing a number of divisive executive orders and announcing plans that many find difficult to believe.
Given the often bizarre events surrounding President Trump’s administration, Musk addressing the press from the Oval Office with his 4-year-old son, X Æ ‘X’ A-Xii, in tow is just another chapter in the surreal political landscape.
Musk’s press conference lived up to expectations in its undeniable oddity, particularly when he had to publicly correct a statement about sending $50 million worth of condoms to Gaza in the Middle East, clarifying that it was actually meant for Gaza in Mozambique.
“How can we make sure that all the statements that you said were correct, so we can trust what you say?” a journalist asked after Musk admitted his mistake.
“Some of the things that I say will be incorrect and should be corrected,” Musk replied. “I mean, you know, we will make mistakes, but we’ll act quickly to correct any mistakes.”
Musk added, “I’m not sure we should be sending $50 million worth of condoms to anywhere, frankly. I’m not sure that’s something Americans would be really excited about.”
The situation became even more intriguing with President Trump sitting silently at his desk beside Musk, his expressions reacting to the conversation. He raised his eyebrows, shook his head, and smirked as Musk responded to the reporter.
Observers on social media took note of Trump’s body language. One user wrote, “In this video, just look at Trump’s body language and movements—it’s clear that he’s uncomfortable with Elon Musk. On one hand, he handed America over to Israel, and on the other, to a lunatic like Elon. He had no choice.”
Another commented, “When the reporter was asking Elon to correct the record about condoms for Gaza, which were instead for $50 million of condoms to Mozambique, I zoomed in on Trump’s face. And he cracks me up more than you’ll ever know.”
“Trump’s reaction to that question is priceless,” quipped another user.
“Trump was looking angry there,” added another.
What do you make of Elon Musk’s role in the government? How do you see things going between Musk and Trump moving forward? Let us know in the comments.
