A highly visible disagreement has been ongoing between two notable figures. Former President Donald Trump has responded to allegations suggesting that Elon Musk, the visionary entrepreneur, has been involved in substance use. Some weeks before, allegations surfaced hinting that Musk was using controlled substances, including ketamine, ecstasy, psilocybin mushrooms, and Adderall, during his political campaign. It was suggested that Musk had a ‘medication box’ that he carried around during his campaign travels.
Reports suggested that Musk indulged in these drugs on a nearly daily basis during the previous year. His usage of ketamine was reportedly so regular that listeners were told of bladder-related complaints that may stem from the drug. The individuals who made these claims could not verify whether this purported substance use took place amidst his engagement with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) or during his campaign for presidency in 2024. Arguably, Musk was very displeased with these assertions, labeling them as ‘falsehoods.’
“It must be clarified that I have not used any illegal substances! Several years back, I trialed a *prescribed* ketamine dose, but I haven’t taken it since,” was Musk’s response in writing. During this week, Trump was questioned regarding this report. When asked whether Musk might have introduced drugs into the White House, Trump responded cautiously, “I honestly don’t have that information, and I hope it isn’t the case. My best wishes to him.” These remarks arrived after a vast disagreement between Trump and Musk, ignited when Musk chose to step down from DOGE.
The origin of this friction appears to be associated with Musk’s critique of a rather contentious bill that proposes tax exemptions for Social Security, overtime work, and tips. Musk has altogether refuted the accusations. Musk attempted to associate Trump with the Jeffrey Epstein scandal via several tweets, which have since been expunged. He also publicly advocated for Trump’s impeachment.
Through one specific tweet, Musk concurred with the sentiment that Trump should be removed from office, and proposed having his vice president, JD Vance, assume the mantle of the President of the United States. After Musk’s departure from DOGE, Trump made the claim that people were growing weary of Musk, which led to him asking Musk to resign. Trump stated, “I requested him to step out, and he reacted quite furiously!”
Musk flagged this statement as a ‘blatant deception’, characterizing Trump’s words as ‘genuinely unfortunate’. Questions were posed to Trump about the potentiality of a conversation being set up to reconcile differences with Musk. In response, he referred to Musk as the “man who has lost his sanity”, and indicated that he was ‘not exceedingly inclined’ towards having a chat.